Mechanical Behavior of Polyurethane Insulation of CRT Leads in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: A Comparative Analysis of In Vivo Exposure and Residual Properties

Abstract

Left ventricle leads are designed for the purpose of long-term pacing in the left ventricle. This study investigated the leads that use polyurethane as an outer insulator and SI-polyimide as an inner insulator. Polyurethane is commonly used for the outer insulation of cardiac leads due to its flexibility and biocompatibility. SI-polyimide (SI-PI) is a high-performance material known for its electrical insulation properties and is used for the inner insulation to maintain the integrity of the electrical pathways within the lead. Ten leads were received from the Wright State University Anatomical Gift Program. The duration of in vivo implantation varied for each lead, from less than a month to 108 months, with an average in vivo duration of 41 ± 31 months. We used the Test Resources Q series system for conducting our tests, as well as samples prepared to ensure compliance with the ASTM Standard D 1708-02a and the ASTM Standard D 412-06a. During the test, the load was applied to the intact lead. Before conducting individual tests, each lead was carefully inspected for surface defects. After conducting the tests, the load to failure, percentage of elongation, percentage of elongation at 5 N, ultimate tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity were calculated. There was no significant difference in load to failure, the percentage of elongation to failure, ultimate tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity (p-value = 0.82, p-value = 0.62, p-value = 0.82, and p-value = 0.12), respectively, when compared to in vivo exposure time. On the other hand, the percentage of elongation at 5 N force showed a significant difference (p-value = 0.0066) after 60 months in an in vivo environment. As the duration of in vivo exposure increased, the load to failure, percentage of elongation, ultimate tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity decreased insignificantly. The residual properties of these left ventricle leads remained relatively stable after 108 months of in vivo exposure duration, with no statistically significant degradation or changes in performance.