Fixation means for an endocardial electrode
First Claim
1. An improved endocardial lead of the type having an electrical conductor encased in an encasing material which is generally inert to body fluids, the conductor terminating in a body-contact means, the improvement comprising:
- at least one fin attached to said encasing material, said fin having a distal end near said body-contact means and a proximal end, said fin defining an upper edge and a trailing edge, said upper edge beginning at said encasing material and extending acutely away from said encasing material from said fin distal end, and said trailing edge extending downward from the proximal end of said upper edge to define a first trailing edge portion and a second trailing edge portion, said first trailing edge portion defining at least a ninety degree angle with respect to the conductor axis portion extending from said fin and away from said body-contact means, said second trailing edge portion extending away from said fin proximal end until it intersects said encasing material, said second trail edge portion beginning at an initiation point no less than ten percent of the distance from the surface of said encasing material to the proximal end of said upper edge.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved fixation structure for an endocardial lead (10), the lead (10) having an elongated electrical conductor (12) encased in an encasing material (14) and terminating in an exposed electrically conductive tip (16). The fixation structure includes at least one fin (20) which defines an upper edge (28), a first trailing edge portion (40), and a second trailing edge portion (42). The fin upper edge (28) defines an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis (22) of the lead (10). The first trailing edge portion (40) defines a ninety degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis (22) of the electrical conductor (12) and the second trailing edge portion (42) extends backward and downward from a point (A) on the first trailing edge portion (40), until it intersects the encasing material (14) at a point (C). In one embodiment, the edge between point A and point C defines an arc. Point A begins at a point twenty percent of the distance from the encasing material (14) to the top of the first trailing edge portion (40). Thus, the fixation structure disclosed engages the heart trabeculae in substantially the same manner as other types of fixation structures. However, the second trailing portion (42) is chosen to have an edge configuration which will deflect chordae tendonae as the conductive tip is withdrawn from the heart wall for either removal or relocation. Thus, an improved endocardial fixation structure is disclosed which has the advantages of existing structures with respect to engaging heart trabeculae while at the same time facilitates tip removal in the presence of chordae tendonae in the heart.
14 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. An improved endocardial lead of the type having an electrical conductor encased in an encasing material which is generally inert to body fluids, the conductor terminating in a body-contact means, the improvement comprising:
at least one fin attached to said encasing material, said fin having a distal end near said body-contact means and a proximal end, said fin defining an upper edge and a trailing edge, said upper edge beginning at said encasing material and extending acutely away from said encasing material from said fin distal end, and said trailing edge extending downward from the proximal end of said upper edge to define a first trailing edge portion and a second trailing edge portion, said first trailing edge portion defining at least a ninety degree angle with respect to the conductor axis portion extending from said fin and away from said body-contact means, said second trailing edge portion extending away from said fin proximal end until it intersects said encasing material, said second trail edge portion beginning at an initiation point no less than ten percent of the distance from the surface of said encasing material to the proximal end of said upper edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
17. In an endocardial lead of the type having an electrical conductor encased in an encasing material which is generally inert to body fluids, the conductor having a distal end terminating in a body-contact means and a proximal end, the improvement comprising:
-
at least one fin attached to said encasing material, said fin having a distal end near said body-contact means and a proximal end, said fin defining an upper edge beginning at said encasing material and extending acutely away from said fin distal end and terminating at a back edge of said fin, said back edge forming a substantially ninety degree angle with respect to said conductor longitudinal axis; and chordae deflection means forming a part of said fin for deflecting endocardial chordae, said deflection means beginning at an initiation point located at least ten percent of the distance from said encasing material and the top of said fin back edge, said deflection means defining an edge which extends backward and generally downward until it intersects said encasing material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. In an endocardial lead of the type having an electrical conductor encased in an encasing material which is generally inert to body fluids, the conductor having a distal end terminating in a body-contact means, and a proximal end adapted to be received by an implanted medical device, the improvement comprising:
fixation means attached to the electrical conductor near the body-contact means for holding the body-contact means in a desired endocardial position, said fixation means defining an edge which extends upward from said encasing material to a maximum height, then extends downward towards said encasing material to a first point at least greater than ten percent of the shortest distance between said encasing material and said point of maximum height, said edge then extending generally downward and away from said body-contact means until said edge intersects said encasing material. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Specification