Device and method for positioning an electrode in tissue

• US 10,124,162 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Garai, Ellis, Swaminathan, Aravind
• Primary Examiner(s): Yabut, Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Martin T
• Application Number:
  US15/691,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20180085570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0573 chacterised by means penetrating the heart tissue, e.g. helix needle or hook

Abstract

A device for positioning an electrode in tissue includes: a lead body having a distal portion; an electrode array coupled to the lead distal portion; an anchoring element having an anchor tip and being operable in a first configuration in which the anchor tip is retracted within the lead and in a second configuration in which the anchor tip is extended outside the lead and configured to fixate within the tissue; and a displacement mechanism that is actuated to bias the electrode array or the anchoring element toward the tissue. A method for positioning an electrode in tissue includes: navigating, to the tissue, a lead with an electrode array, an anchoring element with a distal anchor tip, and a displacement mechanism; biasing the electrode array and anchoring element towards the tissue with the displacement mechanism; and deploying the anchoring element, and verifying fixation of the anchor tip within the tissue.

Claims

1. A device configured to position an electrode in tissue in a body, comprising:

an elongate body having a lumen and a distal portion;

an internal tube in the elongate body lumen, said internal tube having an alignment lumen with a cross-sectional shape;

an electrode array coupled to the distal portion of the elongate body;

an actuator in the elongate body lumen having an anchoring element having a distal anchor tip disposed within the alignment lumen of the internal tube, wherein the actuator is configured to move the anchoring element in the alignment lumen between a first configuration in which the distal anchor tip is substantially retracted within the elongate body and a second configuration in which the distal anchoring element is at least partially extended outside the elongate body, the distal anchoring tip of the anchoring element being configured to penetrate and fixate within the tissue when in the second configuration, wherein the anchoring element is shaped to be constrained within the alignment lumen to deploy the anchoring tip in an anchor deployment direction; and

a displacement mechanism on the distal portion of the elongate body and configured to bias the anchoring element in a direction opposite to the anchor deployment direction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is telescopically disposed in the elongate body lumen.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the anchoring element includes a plurality of distal anchor tips coupled to a distal end of the actuator, wherein the plurality of distal anchor tips are axially aligned and configured to deploy laterally in the anchor deployment direction from the elongate body to fixate in tissue as the actuator is longitudinally advanced in the elongate body lumen.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of distal anchor tips are curled and configured to remain straightened while constrained within the internal tube and to curl in a proximal direction and deploy laterally from the elongate body to fixate in tissue as the actuator is distally advanced in the elongate body lumen, wherein the inner tube inhibits the constrained distal tip anchors from damaging the elongate body lumen as the anchor element is distally advanced.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the internal tube is a metal tube.