Pacing, Sensing or Defibrillator Leads for Implantation into the Myocardium

• US 20120245665A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research (Mayo Clinic)
• Original Assignee: Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research (Mayo Clinic)
• Inventors: Friedman, Paul A., Bruce, Charles J., Asirvatham, Samuel J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/127
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0565 Electrode heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0573 chacterised by means penetrating the heart tissue, e.g. helix needle or hook

Abstract

An electrical lead for a cardiac device includes a body having a distal end sized for insertion through a catheter, first and second electrodes extending through the body, with each electrode terminating in a tip having proximal and distal ends and arranged to extend to an area of cardiac tissue. The tips include a fully insulated portion on the proximal and distal ends measuring in a range between 5 percent and 40 percent of the lengths of the tips, and further include an uninsulated intermediate section. The tip of the second electrode includes a helical section surrounding the first electrode and has an insulated portion on an inwardly facing portion surface facing toward the first electrode. The tip of the second electrode also includes a fully insulated portion on the proximal and distal ends measuring in the same or similar percentage range.

Claims

1. An electrical lead for a cardiac device, the electrical lead comprising:

a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, the lead body sized for insertion through a lumen of a steerable sheath;

a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite polarity and extending through the lead body, the first and second electrodes each terminating in a tip having a proximal end, a distal end, and an effective length, the tip of the first and second electrodes arranged to extend from the lead body for insertion into an area of cardiac tissue;

the tip of the first electrode including a fully insulated portion on the proximal end and a fully insulated portion on the distal end, each of the fully insulated portions measuring in a range between 5 percent and 40 percent of an effective length of the tip of the first electrode, the tip of the first electrode further including an intermediate section having an uninsulated portion; and

the tip of the second electrode comprising a helical section surrounding a portion of the tip of the first electrode, the helical section comprising an outwardly facing portion facing away from the first electrode and an inwardly facing portion facing toward the first electrode, the tip of the second electrode including a fully insulated portion on the proximal end and a partially insulated portion extending from the fully insulated portion toward the distal end, the fully insulated portion on the proximal end measuring in a range between 5 percent and 40 percent of an effective length of the tip of the second electrode, the partially insulated portion formed by insulation on the inwardly facing portion of the second electrode.

2. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the tip of the first electrode is linear.

3. The electrical lead of claim 2, wherein the helical portion of the second electrode surrounds a portion of the first electrode.

4. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the effective length of the tip of the first electrode is less than the effective length of the tip of the second electrode.

5. The electrical lead of claim 4, wherein the effective length of the tip of the first electrode is about 10% to 90% of the effective length of the tip of the second electrode.

6. The electrical lead of claim 4, wherein the effective length of the tip of the first electrode is about 75 percent of the effective length of the tip of the second electrode.

7. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the intermediate section of the tip of the first electrode includes insulation and wherein the partially uninsulated portion of the intermediate section is formed by a plurality of perforations through the insulation of the intermediate section.

8. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the helical portion of the tip of the second electrode forms an anchor arranged to secure the distal end of the lead body adjacent the area of cardiac tissue.

9. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the partially insulated portion includes no insulation on the outwardly facing surface.

10. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the each of the fully insulated portions of the tip of the first electrode measures from 5 percent to no more than 15 percent.

11. An electrical lead for a cardiac device, the electrical lead comprising:

a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, the lead body sized for insertion through a lumen of a steerable catheter;

an anchor arranged to secure the distal end of the lead body adjacent an area of cardiac tissue;

a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite polarity and extending through the lead body, the first and second electrodes each terminating in a tip having a proximal end, a distal end, and an effective length, the tip of the first and second electrodes arranged to extend from the lead body for insertion into the area of cardiac tissue;

the tip of each of the first and second electrodes including a fully insulated portion on the proximal end, a fully insulated portion on the distal end, each of the fully insulated portions on both the proximal and distal ends having an insulated length measuring between 5 percent and 40 percent of an effective length of the tip, the tip of each of the first and second electrodes further including an intermediate section between the proximal and distal ends having an uninsulated portion.

12. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the anchor comprises a helical wire.

13. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the anchor is fully insulated.

14. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the tip of each of the first and second electrodes is linear.

15. The electrical lead of claim 12, wherein the helical wire is fully insulated and exits the lead body generally along an axis of the lead body, and wherein the tip of each of the first and second electrodes is spaced away from the axis.

16. The electrical lead of claim 15, wherein the tip of each of the first and second electrodes comprises a linear pin extending generally parallel to the axis.

17. The electrical lead of claim 15, wherein the tip of each of the first and second electrodes is disposed at an angle relative to the axis.

18. The electrical lead of claim 17, wherein the angle measures between 5 degrees and 60 degrees.

19. The electrical lead of claim 18, wherein the angle measures 35 degrees.

20. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the anchor is helical, and wherein the effective length of the tip of the first and second electrodes is less than the effective length of the tip of the anchor.

21. The electrical lead of claim 20, wherein the effective length of the tip of the first and second electrodes is about 10% to 90% percent of the effective length of the anchor.

22. The electrical lead of claim 21, wherein the effective length of the tip of the first and second electrodes is about 75 percent of the effective length of the anchor.

23. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the insulated length on the proximal and distal ends of each of the tips measures about 15 percent of the effective length of each of the tips.

24. The electrical lead of claim 11, wherein the intermediate section has no insulation.

25. An electrical lead for a cardiac device, the electrical lead comprising:

a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, the lead body sized for insertion through a lumen of a steerable catheter;

a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite polarity and extending through the lead body, the first and second electrodes each terminating in a tip having a proximal end, a distal end, and an effective length, the tip of the first and second electrodes arranged to extend from the lead body for insertion into an area of cardiac tissue;

the tip of the first electrode including a fully insulated portion on the proximal end and a fully insulated portion on the distal end, each of the fully insulated portions measuring in a range between 5 percent and 40 percent of an effective length of the tip of the first electrode, the tip of the first electrode further including an intermediate section having a partially insulated portion, the partially insulated portion including insulation and perforations through the insulation; and

the tip of the second electrode comprising a helical section surrounding a portion of the tip of the first electrode, the tip of the second electrode including a fully insulated portion on the proximal end and an uninsulated portion extending from the fully insulated portion toward the distal end, the fully insulated portion on the proximal end measuring in a range between 5 percent and 40 percent of an effective length of the tip of the second electrode.

26-54. -54. (canceled)