Electronic pacemaker and pacemaker lead

1. Technical Field

The present application is related to electronic pacemakers, and more particularly to a pacemaker and a pacemaker lead, which uses carbon nanotubes.

2. Description of Related Art

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that impairs motor skills, cognitive processes, and other functions. PD is the most common cause of chronic progressive syndrome characterized by tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is presently the most used surgical means of treatment but other surgical therapies consisting of producing lesions in specific subcortical areas are also effective. DBS involves the implantation of a medical device called a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain.

The parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of at least one embodiment. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various diagrams, and all the diagrams are schematic.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electronic pacemaker according to a first embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a pacemaker lead of the electronic pacemaker electrode of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a number of carbon nanotube yarns arranged to contact with each other to form a bundle structure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a number of carbon nanotube yarns wound to form a bundle structure.

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe various inventive embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a pacemaker 2 according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a pulsed current generator 20 , a pacemaker lead 21 , and an electrode member 22 . In the embodiment, the pacemaker 2 can be a brain pacemaker.

The pulsed current generator 20 generates a current for stimulating the target cells, for example, the cerebral cells C. In the embodiment, the current is a pulsed current with a modulated pulse width.

The pacemaker lead 21 has at least one body 211 and an insulation layer 212 , which covers the body 211 (shown in FIG. 2 ). The pacemaker lead 21 is connected to the pulsed current generator 20 for transmitting the current. In the embodiment, the pacemaker lead 21 has a plurality of bodies 211 covered by the insulation layer 212 . The material of the insulation layer 212 may be a high polymer material like polyurethane, and the thickness of the insulation layer 212 is in the range from about 1 μm to about 50 μm.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the electrode member 22 is connected to the pacemaker lead 21 and contacts the cerebral cells C. The electrode member 22 has a plurality of terminals 221 corresponding to the body 211 of the pacemaker lead 21 . The terminals 221 are arranged in an electrode array to stimulate the cerebral cells C at different positions simultaneously. In the embodiment, the terminal 221 is a metal terminal having a strip or a cone shape.

Referring also to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the body 211 is a linear structure and includes at least one carbon nanotube yarn 211 a . The diameter of the carbon nanotube yarn 211 a is in the range from about 1 μm to about 100 μm, and the diameter of the body 211 is in the range from about 1 μm to about 1 mm. In the embodiment, the body 211 has a plurality of carbon nanotube yarns 211 a , and each one of the carbon nanotube yarns 211 a includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes, which are interconnected to each other along one axis of the body 211 by van der Waals force and have almost the same length (not shown in FIG.). In the embodiment, the carbon nanotubes can be single-walled carbon nanotubes or multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the carbon nanotube yarns 211 a arranged tightly contacting each other in parallel to form a bundle structure. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the carbon nanotube yarns 211 a spirally wound around the axis of the body 211 at zero pitch to form the bundle structure.

In the embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are connected by covalent bonds so the carbon nanotube yarn has characteristics like high toughness or high resilience. The carbon nanotube structures described herein can be used in a similar manner for other parts in other kinds of pacemakers such as artificial pacemakers used for the heart.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of certain inventive embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of arrangement of parts, within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.