Lumen mounted electrodes for pacing and intra-cardiac ECG sensing

• US 4,595,012 A
• Filed: 01/13/1984
• Issued: 06/17/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Hospital Supply Corp. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Webler, William E., Lieber, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/570,632
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 128/642, 128/784-786, 128/419 P, 128/693
• US Class Current: 600/374
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems

Abstract

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient for pacing the heart and ECG sensing comprising an elongated tube sized to be received through a vein or artery into the heart and having a peripheral wall, at least one lumen and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube. An electrode is mounted in the lumen with the electrode being exposed at the opening. At least one conductive lead is coupled to the electrode and extends proximally within the tube. The tube has a body line, and the electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than the body line.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising:

an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube;

an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage;

means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen;

at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and

said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along a major length of said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said passage extends through said electrode and said mounting means extends through said passage and has end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting member is resiliently bendable.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting member is tubular.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting member includes an insulating adhesive to at least assist in holding the mounting member and the conductive member together.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said lead extends at least partially through the insulating adhesive and is welded to the electrode and the weld is in said lumen and faces generally away from the opening.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said one lumen is a first lumen and said tube has a second lumen and a third lumen and said apparatus includes an inflatable balloon adjacent the distal end of the tube, said second lumen extends to the balloon to provide for balloon inflation and said third lumen is a through lumen and extends at least substantially to the distal end and opens at a distal port.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrode is a first electrode and said opening is a first opening, said tube has a second opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube and said apparatus includes a second electrode mounted within the lumen with the second electrode exposed at the second opening and at least a second conductive lead coupled to the second electrode and extending from the second electrode within the tube and said apparatus is no larger radially at either of said first and second electrodes than at any region between said electrodes.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said lead is welded to the electrode and the weld is in said lumen and faces generally away from the opening.

10. An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising:

an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube;

an electrode;

means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening;

at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and

said electrode including a tubular conductive member having a passage extending generally axially therethrough, said mounting means including a mounting member extending completely through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member, at least a portion of said end portions lying in said lumen on opposite sides of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member within the lumen, an insulating adhesive to at least assist in bonding the conductive member and the mounting member together and in retaining them within the lumen.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said tube has a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said lead is welded to the electrode, the weld is in said lumen and faces generally away from the opening.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the mounting member is resilient and bendable.

14. An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising:

an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube;

a tubular electrode;

a mounting member at least partially within the lumen and the tubular electrode mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening;

an insulating adhesive holding the mounting member and the electrode together, said insulating adhesive partially circumscribing the electrode and leaving a region of the electrode exposed at said opening; and

at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode at a location out of said region and extending from said electrode within said tube and at least partly through the adhesive.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said mounting member extends completely through the tubular electrode and has end portions on opposite sides of the tubular electrode.

16. An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising:

an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube;

an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage;

means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen;

at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube;

said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means; and

said passage extending through said electrode and said mounting means extending through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member.