Leadless Cardiac Stimulation Systems

• US 20070150038A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Scott, Hastings, Roger, Drasler, William, Sadasiva, Anupama, Lafontaine, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0587 Epicardial electrode systems; Endocardial electrodes piercing the pericardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/059 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/365 controlled by a physiological parameter, e.g. heart potential evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Various configurations of systems that employ leadless electrodes to provide pacing therapy are provided. In one example, a system that provides multiple sites for pacing of myocardium of a heart includes wireless pacing electrodes that are implantable at sites proximate the myocardium using a percutaneous, transluminal, catheter delivery system. Each of the electrodes contains a source of electrical energy for pacing the myocardium and is adapted to receive electromagnetic energy from a source outside the myocardium. The system also includes a source adapted for placement outside the myocardium and that uses locally measured electrocardiograms to synchronize pacing of the heart by sending electromagnetic commands to the electrodes to pace the myocardium surrounding the electrodes. Also disclosed is various configurations of such systems, wireless electrode assemblies, and delivery catheters for delivering and implanting the electrode assemblies.

Claims

1. A body implantable electrode assembly comprising:

a charge storage device operatively coupled to deliver stored charge discharged from the charge storage device across a pair of electrodes that are positionable to be in contact with body tissue;

a receiver coil that inductively couples an externally provided charging signal to charge the charge storage device and that receives externally provided wireless control signals; and

control circuitry that triggers the discharge of stored charge from the charge storage device upon receipt of a wireless control signal that indicates that the storage capacitor is to be discharged and that includes information that identifies the body implantable electrode assembly from among other such body implantable electrode assemblies.

2. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the wireless control signal identifies the electrode assembly.

3. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrode assembly is tuned to respond to a particular frequency of wireless control signal.

4. The electrode assembly of claim 3 wherein the electrode assembly has a filter that filters all but a selected frequency.

5. The electrode assembly of claim 1 further comprising a mechanism that secures the assembly to body tissue.

6. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrode assembly does not include an internally generated power source.

7. A method of controlling the delivery of electrical signals from a plurality of wireless electrode assemblies that each have a pair of electrodes that are in contact with tissue of a body vessel, wherein each of electrode assemblies may be charged by inductive coupling and subsequently discharged to deliver electrical energy across the pair of electrodes and contacting body tissue, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a charging signal that is received by each of the plurality of the wireless electrode assemblies to charge each of the storage capacitors of the plurality of wireless electrode assemblies at the same time; and

wirelessly transmitting control signals that are received by the wireless electrode assemblies to trigger the discharge of the storage capacitor in a selected one of the wireless electrode assemblies.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the wirelessly transmitted control signals are transmitted at different frequencies, wherein one of the different frequencies identifies the selected one of the wireless electrode assemblies.