Temporary medical electrical lead having biodegradable electrode mounting pad

Claim 1

A temporary medical electrical lead for pacing or defibrillating a heart of a patient, the lead having distal and proximal ends, comprising: (a) a lead body having proximal and distal ends, comprising: (i) a single electrical conductor having proximal and distal ends; (ii) an insulative sheath formed of biocompatible and electrically insulative material, the sheath extending over and covering at least portions of the electrical conductor, the sheath not being disposed over at least a distal-most end of the single electrical conductor; (b) an electrical connector assembly attached to the proximal end of the single electrical conductor for attachment to a device capable of providing pacing or defibrillation pulses therethrough, and (c) an electrode mounting pad comprising lower and upper surfaces separated by a pad thickness, the pad having outer edges disposed between the lower and upper surfaces, the lower surface being configured for engagement with an outer surface of a human heart, the electrode mounting pad being disposed near the distal end of the lead body, the distal end of the single electrical conductor being attached to or integrated into the electrode mounting pad such that all portions of the distal end of the conductor are disposed at locations disposed upwardly from the lower surface such that no such portions of the conductor distal end penetrate the lower surface of the electrode mounting pad, the distal end of the single electrical conductor forming a sinusoidally-shaped or semi-sinusoidally shaped electrode disposed on or in the electrode mounting pad such that at least portions of the sinusoidally-shaped or semi-sinusoidally shaped electrode are disposed along the outer edges of the electrode mounting pad and such that the electrode may be removed from a patient's body after implantation therein through the application of a pulling force exerted by a physician, the electrode mounting pad comprising a biodegradable, biocompatible material soluble in human body fluids.