| Abstract Scope |
In cardiac electrophysiology, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) use bipolar endocardial leads to conduct electricity from a pacing unit to the myocardium. However, complications such as infection, lead migration, impedance changes, or mechanical failure may necessitate the removal of these leads before their intended service lifetimes. During this procedure, known as a transvenous lead extraction (TLE), compounding conditions including lead age, mechanical stress and fatigue, surgical instrumentation and procedure, scar tissue growth, vascular calcifications, and biodegradation may compromise the integrity of the lead, complicating the procedure and requiring more invasive corrective surgery to avoid adverse clinical outcomes. While research has explored various methods for separately simulating these conditions in vitro, there exists no robust standard practice for evaluating lead strength. This work seeks to join and expand on previous literature to design a more thorough testing procedure for mechanically characterizing lead performance using laboratory bench methods to better inform clinical practice. |