Medical devices with aromatic polyimide coating

An implantable medical device, comprising:

• a housing generating electrical signals for delivering therapy, the housing having a connector block;
• a lead having a lead body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end of the lead body being insertable within the connector block and electrically coupling the housing and the lead;
• a plurality of conductors extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the lead body;
• and an insulative layer positioned about the plurality of conductors, wherein the insulative layer is formed of a aromatic polyimide having the following structure:
• wherein R is a tetravalent aromatic radical, preferably containing at least one ring of six carbon atoms, said ring characterized by benzenoid unsaturation, the four carbonyl groups being attached directly to separate carbon atoms in a ring and each pair of carbonyl groups being attached to adjacent carbon atoms in a ring of the R radical;
• and wherein R′ is a divalent benzenoid radical selected from the group consisting of
• wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene chain having 1-3 carbon atoms,
• wherein R′″ and R″″ are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl.

A guidewire comprising proximal, medial, and distal segments, the guidewire having coated on some portion of at least one of the segments an aromatic polyimide having the structure:

• wherein R is a tetravalent aromatic radical, preferably containing at least one ring of six carbon atoms, said ring characterized by beuzenoid unsaturation, the four carbonyl groups being attached directly to separate carbon atoms in a ring and each pair of carbonyl groups being attached to adjacent carbon atoms in a ring of the R radical;
• and wherein R′ is a divalent benzenoid radical selected from the group consisting of
• wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene chain having 1-3 carbon atoms,
• wherein R′″ and R″″ are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl.

A method for manufacturing a medical device, the method comprising the step of forming on at least some portion of the device a layer of aromatic polyimide of the structure:

• wherein R is a tetravalent aromatic radical, preferably containing at least one ring of six carbon atoms, said ring characterized by benzenoid unsaturation, the four carbonyl groups being attached directly to separate carbon atoms in a ring and each pair of carbonyl groups being attached to adjacent carbon atoms in a ring of the R radical;
• and wherein R′ is a divalent benzenoid radical selected from the group consisting of
• wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene chain having 1-3 carbon atoms,
• wherein R′″ and R″″ are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl.

A medical electrical lead, comprising a conductor including a single insulative layer of aromatic polyimide, the aromatic polyimide having the structure:

• wherein R is a tetravalent aromatic radical, preferably containing at least one ring of six carbon atoms, said ring characterized by benzenoid unsaturation, the four carbonyl groups being attached directly to separate carbon atoms in a ring and each pair of carbonyl groups being attached to adjacent carbon atoms in a ring of the R radical;
• and wherein R′ is a divalent benzenoid radical selected from the group consisting of
• wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene chain having 1-3 carbon atoms,
• wherein R′″ and R″″ are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl.