Comformable intralumen electrodes

A catheter for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient, comprising:

• (a) an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall having an outer surface, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube, and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube, said opening sized to expose a selected surface area of an electrode to be formed therein;
• (b) the electrode comprising a conductive polymeric material filling said opening and extending into said lumen proximally and distally of said opening, aid polymeric material having adhesive properties thereby creating an adhesive bond between the electrode and the tube, said electrode extending radially at said opening no farther that the outer surface of the peripheral wall;
• (c) at least one conductive lead having a distal end encased within said conductive material and extending from said electrode within the tube to the proximal end of the tube;
• and
• (d) a passageway extending longitudinally through the conductive polymeric material within said lumen.

A method of mounting electrodes within a lumen of a catheter, said catheter being sized to be received at a selected location within the body, said catheter having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface, and at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the catheter, comprising the steps of:

• (a) cutting an opening in the peripheral wall of the catheter at a selected site along the length of the catheter, the opening sized to expose a selected surface area of an electrode to be formed therein;
• (b) threading a conductive lead having a proximal end and a distal end through the lumen of the catheter to the selected site of the electrode so that the distal end of the conductive lead is positioned in the lumen at the opening in the peripheral wall;
• (c) disposing in said lumen means for forming a passageway extending longitudinally through the electrode to be formed in said lumen at said opening;
• and
• (d) introducing a conductive polymeric material in a semiliquid form into the opening so that it fills the opening, extends into the lumen a short distance proximally and distally of the opening, extends radially outward no farther than the outer peripheral surface and encircles the distal end of the conductive lead disposed within the lumen at the location of the opening and makes electrical contact with the distal end of the conductive lead, and so that said means for forming a passageway extends longitudinally through the conductive polymeric material.