Implantable medical device including a conductive fixation element

• US 20080132981A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gerber, Martin T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0536 Preventing neurodegenerative response or inflammatory reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

A system comprises an implantable medical device and an actively deployable clip attached to the implantable medical device to restrict movement of the implantable medical device once the clip is deployed within a body of a patient. The clip includes an electrically conductive portion. The implantable medical device may be implanted proximate to any suitable tissue site within the patient, and in one embodiment, the implantable medical device is implanted proximate to an occipital nerve or a trigeminal nerve of the patient.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device; and

a fixation element coupled to the implantable medical device, the fixation element comprising an electrically conductive portion configured to at least one of deliver electrical stimulation to a target tissue site within a patient or sense a physiological parameter from the target tissue site, wherein the fixation element is actively deployable from a first shape to a second shape to resist substantial movement of the implantable medical device from the target tissue site.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second shape has an outermost dimension of at least about two millimeters.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the outermost dimension of the second shape is between about two millimeters and about five millimeters.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a retainer that retains the fixation element in the first shape, wherein the retainer releases the fixation element for deployment to the second shape in response to manipulation of the retainer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the retainer is at least one of a sheath or a device defining a cavity configured to receive the fixation element, the device comprising a frangible seam covering the cavity and a seam breaker member at least partially embedded in the frangible seam.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first shape is a substantially straight shape.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second shape is a substantially curvilinear shape.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second shape is a spiral shape.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is a lead comprising at least a first stimulation electrode, and wherein at least a portion of the electrically conductive portion of the fixation element is a second stimulation electrode of the lead.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second stimulation electrode is a cuff electrode configured to wrap around at least one of an occipital nerve or a trigeminal nerve of the patient.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an electrical stimulation generator coupled to the lead, the fixation element being configured to deliver electrical stimulation from the electrical stimulation generator to the tissue site within the patient.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the fixation element comprises a first fixation element located between the distal end of the lead and the first stimulation electrode, the system further comprising a second fixation element located between a proximal end of the lead and the first stimulation electrode.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the lead further comprises a third stimulation electrode adjacent to the first stimulation electrode, wherein the fixation element is located between the first and third stimulation electrodes.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixation element is attached to a distal end of the implantable medical device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixation element comprises a wire formed from one of an elastic material or a shape memory material.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the electrical stimulation generator.

17. A medical lead comprising:

a lead body;

an electrical conductor disposed within the lead body;

a fixation element comprising an electrically conductive portion electrically coupled to the electrical conductor, wherein the fixation element is actively deployable from a first shape to a second shape to resist substantial movement of the lead body from a target therapy delivery site in a patient.

18. The medical lead of claim 17, wherein the fixation element is a first electrode and the medical lead further comprises at least a second electrode carried by the lead body.

19. The medical lead of claim 18, wherein the fixation element comprises a first fixation element located distal to the second electrode and the medical lead further comprises a second fixation element located proximal to the second electrode.

20. The medical lead of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first or second electrodes is a sensing electrode.

21. The medical lead of claim 17, wherein the second shape is a substantially curvilinear shape.

22. The medical lead of claim 17, wherein the portion of the fixation element is a cuff electrode configured to wrap around a peripheral nerve of a patient.

23. The medical lead of claim 22, wherein the peripheral nerve at least one of an occipital nerve or a trigeminal nerve of the patient.

24. A method comprising:

implanting an implantable medical device in a body of a patient; and

actively deploying a fixation element coupled to the implantable medical device, the fixation element comprising an electrically conductive portion configured to at least one of deliver electrical stimulation to a target tissue site within the body of the patient or sense a physiological parameter from the target tissue site, wherein the fixation element is actively deployable from a first shape to a second shape to resist substantial movement of the implantable medical device from the target tissue site.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising releasing the fixation element from a retainer for deployment to the second shape.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein releasing the fixation element from the retainer comprises withdrawing a sheath from around the fixation element.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the retainer defines a cavity and the retainer comprises:

a frangible seam covering the cavity; and

a seam breaker member at least partially embedded in the frangible seam, the fixation element being disposed within the cavity,

wherein releasing the fixation element from the retainer comprises pulling a seam breaker member to break the frangible seam.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a lead comprising at least a first stimulation electrode, wherein the fixation element is a second stimulation electrode of the lead.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising positioning the fixation element with respect to a nerve of a patient such that when the fixation element deploys to the second shape, the fixation element wraps around at least a portion of the nerve.