MRI compatible lead

1. A lead wire assembly apparatus for an implantable medical device (IMD), the apparatus comprising:

a lead having first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween;

a cover defining at least one cavity situated about ends of adjacent conductive segments; and

a fluid located in the at least one cavity, with the fluid configured to couple a signal from a first one of the adjacent conductive segments to a second one of the adjacent conductive segments.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid electrically couples adjacent conductive segments to pass driving signals of the implantable medical device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fluid further attenuates induced signals generated by radiofrequency (RF) signals of a magnetic resonance (MR) system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ends of the lead wire define a length of the lead (LEAD) which is greater than one-half wavelength length of radiofrequency (RF) signals generated by an MRI system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a length of at least one of the plurality of conductive segments is less than one-half wavelength length of the radiofrequency (RF) signals generated by the MR system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a buffer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a conductive fluid.

8. A lead wire assembly apparatus for an implantable medical device (IMD), the apparatus comprising:

a lead having first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween;

a cover defining at least one cavity situated about ends of adjacent conductive segments; and

a fluid located in the at least one cavity and coupling the adjacent conductive segments to each other, wherein the fluid comprises an ionic solution.

9. A lead wire assembly apparatus for an implantable medical device (IMD), the apparatus comprising:

a lead having first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween;

a cover defining at least one cavity situated about ends of adjacent conductive segments; and

a fluid located in the at least one cavity and coupling the adjacent conductive segments to each other, wherein the cavity is a first cavity and ends of adjacent conductive segments are located within the first cavity coupled to corresponding conductive cylinders with a first conductive cylinder of the corresponding conductive cylinders sized to fit within a second cavity formed by a second conductive cylinder of the corresponding conductive cylinders.

10. A lead wire assembly apparatus for an implantable medical device (IMD), the apparatus comprising:

a lead having first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween;

a cover defining at least one cavity situated about ends of adjacent conductive segments; and

a fluid located in the at least one cavity and coupling the adjacent conductive segments to each other, wherein the lead is situated between and coupled to a signal generator and an interface probe.

11. An implantable medical device, the device comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a driving signal;

at least one controller configured to control the signal generator to generate the driving signal;

a lead including first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween with the first end coupled to the signal generator, a cover defining at least one cavity, and a fluid located in the at least one cavity with the fluid configured to couple the driving signal between adjacent conductive segments; and

an interface probe coupled to the second end of the lead.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the fluid electrically couples adjacent conductive segments to pass the driving signal to the interface probe.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the fluid further attenuates induced signals generated by radiofrequency (RF) signals of a magnetic resonance (MR) system.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first and second ends of the lead define a length (L LEAD ) of the lead which is greater than one-half wavelength length of radiofrequency (RF) signals generated by an MR system.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein a length of at least one of the plurality of conductive wire segments is less than one-half wavelength length of the radiofrequency (RF) signals generated by the MR system.

16. An implantable medical device, the device comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a driving signal;

at least one controller configured to control the signal generator to generate the driving signal;

a lead including first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween with the first end coupled to the signal generator, a cover defining at least one cavity, and a fluid located in the at least one cavity with the fluid electrically coupling adjacent conductive segments to each other; and

an interface probe coupled to the second end of the lead, wherein the fluid comprises a buffer.

17. An implantable medical device, the device comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a driving signal;

at least one controller configured to control the signal generator to generate the driving signal;

a lead including first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween with the first end coupled to the signal generator, a cover defining at least one cavity, and a fluid located in the at least one cavity with the fluid electrically coupling adjacent conductive segments to each other; and

an interface probe coupled to the second end of the lead, wherein the fluid comprises a conductive fluid.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises an ionic solution.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein the cavity is a first cavity and ends of adjacent conductive segments are located within the first cavity coupled to corresponding conductive cylinders with a first conductive cylinder of the corresponding conductive cylinders sized to fit within a second cavity formed by a second conductive cylinder of the corresponding conductive cylinders.

20. A method of forming a lead for attenuating signals induced by radiofrequency (RF) signals of a magnetic resonance (MR) system, the method comprising acts of:

forming a lead having first and second ends and a plurality of separate conductive segments serially located therebetween;

forming a cover defining at least one cavity in which adjacent ends of conductive segments are located; and

coupling a signal from a first one of adjacent conductive segments to a second one of the adjacent conductive segments within the at least one cavity using a fluid to perform the coupling.