ANCHOR FOR AN IMPLANTABLE SENSOR

• US 20080071178A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, Charles R., D'Aquanni, Peter J., Chin, William S., Fruland, Benjamin R., Magrini, Kevin M., Delgado, Jessie, Greenland, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/486
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00279 deployable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36564 controlled by blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy

Abstract

An anchor for an implantable medical device, for example, and implantable physiologic sensor, includes a proximal hub portion, an intermediate portion extending radially and distally from the hub portion, and a distal portion extending distally from the proximal portion and adapted to engage an inner surface of a target vessel for securing the implantable medical device therein. The anchor can assume a collapsed configuration for delivery through a catheter, and an expanded configuration for fixation within the vessel once deployed. The intermediate portion extends from the proximal portion at an oblique angle, allowing the anchor to be retracted and re-collapsed within the delivery catheter after initial deployment, if re-positioning or removal of the implantable medical device is necessary or desired.

Claims

1. An implantable sensor assembly configured for delivery through a delivery catheter, the sensor assembly comprising:

an implantable sensor;

an anchor coupled to the sensor and adapted to assume a collapsed configuration within the delivery catheter and an expanded configuration external to the delivery catheter, the anchor including;

a proximal hub portion;

an intermediate portion hingedly coupled to and extending distally and radially from the hub portion, the intermediate portion configured to assume a generally oblique angle with respect to the hub portion when the anchor is in the expanded configuration; and

a distal portion extending distally from the intermediate portion and adapted to engage an inner surface of a vessel when the anchor is in the expanded configuration,

wherein the intermediate portion is configured to allow the anchor to be retracted within the delivery catheter and to assume the collapsed configuration after assuming the expanded configuration.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the anchor is coupled to the sensor at the hub portion.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the sensor includes a housing, and wherein the hub portion is generally annular and is adapted to extend circumferentially around at least a portion of the sensor housing.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least the distal portion is adapted to engage an inner surface of a pulmonary artery of a patient.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to measure a pulmonary arterial blood pressure.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensor is located at approximately a radial center of the anchor when the anchor is in the expanded configuration.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensor is positioned proximate a periphery of the anchor when the anchor is in the expanded configuration.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the anchor is balloon-expandable.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the anchor is self-expanding.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the anchor is made substantially from a shape memory material.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the anchor is made substantially from a shape memory nickel-titanium alloy.

13. An implantable sensor assembly comprising:

a sensor including a housing hermetically enclosing a sensor element; and

an anchor including;

a proximal sensor attachment portion coupled to the housing; and

radially expandable means extending from the sensor attachment portion for engaging an inner surface of a vessel.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the radially expandable means for engaging an inner surface of a vessel are configured to assume a collapsed configuration for delivery within a catheter and an expanded configuration external to the catheter.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the radially expandable means for engaging an inner surface of a vessel include:

a plurality of first elongate members extending distally and radially from the sensor attachment portion at an oblique angle with respect to the sensor attachment portion when in the expanded configuration; and

a plurality of second elongate members each extending distally from at least one of the first elongate members,

wherein at least the second elongate members are adapted to engage the inner surface of the vessel when in the expanded configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second elongate members each include at least one arcuate segment, wherein adjacent second elongate members are attached to each other at approximately a middle portion of each arcuate segment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the sensor attachment portion is generally annular and is adapted to extend circumferentially surround at least a portion of the sensor housing.

18. A method of deploying an implantable sensor assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a distal end of a delivery catheter at a first location within a body lumen;

deploying an anchor portion of the sensor assembly from the distal end of the delivery catheter such that the anchor portion assumes an expanded configuration;

retracting the anchor portion into the delivery catheter such that the anchor portion assumes a collapsed configuration;

repositioning the distal end of the delivery catheter at a second location within the body lumen; and

re-deploying the anchor portion of the sensor assembly from the distal end of the delivery catheter such that the anchor portion re-assumes the expanded configuration.

19. The method of claim 18 for deploying an implantable pressure sensor assembly.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein positioning a distal end of a delivery catheter includes transvenously advancing the delivery catheter to locate the distal end in a pulmonary artery.