DRUG ELUTING SHROUD-BASED ELECTRODES

• US 20070255157A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Mertz, John, Stancer, Christopher, Greeninger, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/380,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure described and depicted herein utilize substantially planar electrodes having one or more time-release coatings or material on at least a portion of the exposed surfaces thereof, or all surfaces of the planar portions and the elongated conductor portion thereof. The coatings or materials can include one or more synthetic and/or naturally-occurring biologically-, genetically- and/or pharmacologically-active materials that tend to reduce risk of infection, encourage tissue ingrowth, and/or induce other physiologic benefit and the like. In the event that an increase in surface area of the electrodes is desired and/or a means of retaining more of the time-release coating(s), an additional layer of material can be applied over a part of the electrode surface (e.g., titanium nitride, platinum black, or the like).

Claims

1. A subcutaneous cardiac activity sensing shroud assembly, comprising:

a shroud member configured to correspond to at least a part of the peripheral portion of a housing for an implantable medical device (IMD), said shroud member including at least one recessed region;

a substantially planar, plate-type electrode coupled to the at least one recessed region, wherein the substantially planar, plate-type electrode couples to a slow-release material, and wherein said slow-release material comprises at least one of;

a biological material,

a genetic material,

a pharmacologic material,

a hormonal material,

a naturally-occurring material,

a synthetic material.

2. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein said time release substance further comprises one of:

a coating, a discrete quantity disposed in a porous portion of the electrode, an impregnated member coupled to the electrode.

3. A shroud assembly according claim 2, wherein the impregnated member couples to one of an aperture and a recessed area occupying part of a surface of the electrode.

4. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slow-release material comprises one of:

a naturally-occurring steroid substance and a synthetically-prepared steroid substance.

5. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slow-release material comprises an antibiotic material.

6. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the electrode comprises porous, pressed and sintered metallic material.

7. A shroud assembly according to claim 6, wherein the porous, pressed and sintered metallic material comprises one of a platinum material and a titanium material.

8. A shroud assembly according to claim 7, wherein the material occupies one of an aperture and a recess occupying part of a surface of the electrode.

9. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode couples to an elongated conductive member.

10. A shroud assembly according to claim 9, wherein the elongated conductive member comprises an integral part of the electrode.

11. A shroud assembly according to claim 9, wherein a majority of the elongated conductive member is disposed on a first side of the shroud member and the electrode is disposed on a second side opposing said first side.

12. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a material disposed over at least a portion of the surface of the electrode, wherein the material comprises one of:

a nitride coating, a platinum coating, a coating of platinum black.

13. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode includes opposing major surfaces and at least one aperture couples to said opposing major surfaces.

14. A shroud assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one aperture includes substantially non-parallel interior surfaces.

15. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises a substantially rectangular member.

16. A shroud assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an implantable medical device (IMD) coupled to the shroud assembly.

17. A shroud assembly according to claim 16, wherein the IMD comprises a device adapted for one of sub-muscular implantation and subcutaneous implantation and wherein said device comprises one of:

an implantable pulse generator, an implantable cardiac pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter, an implantable defibrillator, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a neurostimulation device, a gastric stimulator, a hemodynamic monitor, an implantable insulin pump.

18. A method of fabricating a shroud assembly a subcutaneous cardiac activity sensing shroud assembly, comprising:

providing a shroud member configured to correspond to at least a part of the peripheral portion of a housing for an implantable medical device (IMD), said shroud member including at least one recessed region;

inserting a substantially planar, plate-type electrode to the at least one recessed region; and

applying a slow-release material to the substantially planar, plate-type electrode, wherein said slow-release material comprises at least one of;

a biological material,

a genetic material,

a pharmacologic material,

a hormonal material,

a naturally-occurring material,

a synthetic material.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the electrode includes an elongated conductive member and further comprising:

inserting a distal portion of the elongated conductive member through an aperture formed in the shroud member.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the aperture is disposed one of:

adjacent the recessed region and within said recessed region.