ELECTRODE FOR ATRIAL PACING WITH CURVED END FOR ATRIAL WALL ENGAGEMENT

• US 3,729,008 A
• Filed: 12/28/1970
• Issued: 04/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barough V. Berkovits
• Original Assignee: Barough V. Berkovits
• Inventors: Berkovits, Barough V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/101,836
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 128/348,349R,35R,404,418,419P,2M
• US Class Current: 607/125
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart

Abstract

A curvilinear electrode suitable for being curved-over and supported by a moving atrium wall of a patient'"'"''"'"'s heart. The electrode includes at least one long, thin, flexible electrical conductor encapsulated by an electrically insulating flexible catheter sleeve. The electrode has a sufficient resilience to maintain the curve in a plane and yet allow the curve to be flexed linear for insertion through a blood vessel of the patient.

Claims

1. Electrode apparatus of the intravascular type for use with devices for electrically stimulating the heart of a patient, said apparatus including at least one long, thin, flexible electrical conductor, an electrically-insulating flexible catheter enclosing said conductor, there being an electrically non-conducting material forming an outer wall of said catheter, said conductor having one end extending through the exterior surface of said catheter to permit electrical contact between said heart and said conductor near one end of said conductor, and catheter curveholding means carried by said outer wall adjacent said end and substantially parallel to and secured along substantially its entire length to the catheter for normally urging said catheter in a curve near said end, the configuration of said curve arranged to be curved-over and supported by a wall of an atrium moving in response to the beating of said heart and being suitable for causing electrical contact to be maintained between said conductor and said atrium, and where said catheter curveholding means further includes torsion means for maintaining an axial restoring torque on said catheter at said end to encourage said curve to be planar.

2. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means further includes flexible means for permitting said curve to be extended into an approximately linear shape for insertion of said catheter into and removal of said catheter from a blood vessel leading to the heart of said patient.

3. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 2 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means further includes contractile means for causing said approximately linear shape to be formed into said curve about the top of said wall of said atrium after said insertion into said heart.

4. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means is made of rubber.

5. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said apparatus includes two conductors.

6. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means includes ridges for increased gripping of the atrium wall.

7. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means is made of polyvinyl chloride.

8. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means is made of polyethylene.

9. Electrode apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said catheter curve-holding means is made of polyurethane.