Cardiac stimulation system

• US 20070135882A1
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hastings, Roger, Drasler, William, Pikus, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/29 for permanent or long-term implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0573 chacterised by means penetrating the heart tissue, e.g. helix needle or hook
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/059 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3684 for stimulating the heart at multiple sites of the ventricle or the atrium
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36843 Bi-ventricular stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

Some embodiments of pacing systems employ wireless electrode assemblies to provide pacing therapy. The wireless electrode assemblies may wirelessly receive energy via an inductive coupling so as to provide electrical stimulation to the surrounding heart tissue. In certain embodiments, the wireless electrode assembly may be pivotable so that the proximal end of the wireless electrode assembly may be shifted to a position against the heart wall after the distal end has been secured to the heart wall.

Claims

1. A wireless electrode assembly for electrical stimulation of tissue in a heart chamber wall, comprising:

a body portion that houses at least a portion of a circuit in electrical communication with at least one electrode to stimulate heart tissue; and

a fixation device to secure the body portion to a heart chamber wall,

wherein at least a portion of the body portion is pivotable relative to at least a portion of the fixation device.

2. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the body portion is pivotable relative to the fixation device from a first position to a pivoted position so that the body portion is operable to abut the inner wall surface of a heart chamber.

3. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bias member to urge the body portion from a first position to a pivoted position relative to the fixation device.

4. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 3, wherein the bias member applies a torque to the body portion when in the pivoted positioned of about 50 gram−

mm to about 125 gram−

mm.

5. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 4, wherein the bias member applies a torque to the body portion when in the pivoted positioned of about 70 gram−

mm to about 85 gram−

mm.

6. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 4, wherein the body portion has a radius of about 1.25 mm or less.

7. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 4, wherein the body portion has a length of about 10 mm or less.

8. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 3, wherein the bias member is integral with the fixation device.

9. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 8, wherein the fixation device and the bias member comprise stainless steel or MP35N material.

10. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 3, wherein the bias member comprises a viscoelastic material.

11. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises an internal coil to inductively couple with an external power source coil.

12. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 11, wherein the circuit comprises an electrical charge storage device that is recharged from current inductively generated by the internal coil.

13. The wireless electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixation device is a tine that is insertable through endocardium and into myocardium of the heart chamber wall.

14. An electrode delivery system for delivering a wireless electrode assembly into a heart chamber, the system comprising:

a wireless electrode assembly including a body portion and biasing portion to pivot the body portion from a first position to a second position; and

a delivery catheter to direct the wireless electrode assembly through a heart chamber and toward a heart chamber wall, the delivery catheter including an opening in a distal end such that, when the wireless electrode assembly is separated from the opening in the distal end of the catheter, the biasing portion pivots the body portion from the first position to the second position.

15. The electrode delivery system of claim 14, further comprising a guide catheter to direct the distal end of the delivery catheter into the heart chamber.

16. The electrode delivery system of claim 14, further comprising an actuation member to releasably engage the wireless electrode assembly when inside the delivery catheter.

17. The electrode delivery system of claim 16, wherein the actuation member comprises a push rod device to separate the wireless electrode assembly from the opening in the distal end of the delivery catheter.

18. The electrode delivery system of claim 16, wherein the actuation member comprises a pull wire device to release the wireless electrode assembly from the delivery catheter.

19. The electrode delivery system of claim 14, wherein the wireless electrode assembly comprises a fixation device that is insertable through endocardium and into myocardium of the heart chamber wall.

20. The electrode delivery system of claim 19, wherein the body portion is pivotable from the first position to the second position relative to the fixation device so that the body portion abuts the endocardium.

21. The electrode delivery system of claim 14, wherein the wireless electrode assembly comprises an internal coil to inductively couple with an external power source coil.

22. The electrode delivery system of claim 21, wherein the wireless electrode assembly comprises an electrical charge storage device that is recharged from current inductively generated by the internal coil.

23. A method of inserting a wireless electrode assembly into a heart chamber wall, comprising:

securing a fixation device of a wireless electrode assembly through a portion of endocardium and into a heart chamber wall, the fixation device being disposed at a distal end of the wireless electrode assembly; and

causing a body portion of the wireless electrode assembly to pivot relative to the fixation device so that a proximal end of the body portion is shifted toward the heart chamber wall.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the body portion of the wireless electrode assembly is at least partially incorporated into the endocardium of the heart chamber wall over a period of time.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising delivering the wireless electrode assembly through a delivery catheter to a targeted heart chamber/

26. The method of claim 25, when the wireless electrode assembly is pivoted from a first position to a pivoted position relative to the fixation device when the wireless electrode assembly is separated from an opening in a distal end of the delivery catheter.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising actuating an actuation member to separate the wireless electrode assembly from the opening in the distal end of the delivery catheter.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising implanting an external power source coil proximal to the heart so that the external power source coil is arrange for inductive coupling with an internal coil of the wireless electrode assembly.