Retention skirt for pacing electrode assembly

• US 4,669,488 A
• Filed: 10/07/1985
• Issued: 06/02/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hess, Stanley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US06/785,234
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419 P, 128/784-786, 128/642
• US Class Current: 607/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart

Abstract

One embodiment of the electrode assembly is mounted at the distal end of a pacing lead including a lead body and at least one electrical wire conductor in the lead body and comprises a tip electrode including a tip and a connection of the tip to the wire conductor, and a partial skirt coupled to the lead body adjacent the tip. The partial skirt extends part way around the lead body backwardly from the tip. The partial skirt is capable of engaging trabeculae in a heart chamber for maintaining the electrode assembly in place and yet allows the electrode assembly to be removed when desired by the application of sufficient tension to the pacing lead to cause the partial skirt to fold back over itself as the pacing lead is withdrawn.

Claims

1. An electrode assembly having an elongate axis and being mounted at the distal end of a pacing lead including a lead body and at least one electrical wire conductor in the lead body, said electrode assembly comprising a tip electrode including a tip and means for connecting the tip to the wire conductor and a partial skirt coupled to the lead body adjacent said tip, extending part way around said lead body between approximately 170°

and approximately 210°

about the elongate axis of said electrode assembly and extending backwardly from said tip to a rear free edge of said skirt, said partial skirt being capable of engaging trabeculae in a heart chamber for maintaining said electrode assembly in place and said partial skirt by reason of having three free edges allowing said electrode assembly to be removed when desired by the application of sufficient tension to the pacing lead such that said partial skirt easily folds back over itself as the pacing lead is withdrawn.

2. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein said partial skirt extends approximately half way around said pacing lead.

3. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein said skirt defines an approximately half conical envelope about the distal end of said pacing lead having said electrode tip.

4. The electrode assembly of claim 1 having means for separating said partial skirt into at least two separate sections.

5. The electrode assembly of claim 4 wherein said skirt has a front edge and said rear edge and said means for separating said partial skirt into separate sections are defined by at least one slit extending axially part way through said skirt from said rear edge thereof toward but not all the way to said front edge thereof.

6. The electrode assembly of claim 4 wherein at least one of said sections has a hole therein which facilitates folding over of the said section onto itself on removal of said assembly by reason of the reduced material in the said section.

7. The electrode assembly of claim 6 wherein said hole is oblong in the axial direction of said skirt.

8. The electrode assembly of claim 1 in combination with a J-atrial pacing lead having a J-shaped distal end portion with said electrode assembly being situated at the distal end of said pacing lead and wherein said partial skirt has a semi-conical shape partially surrounding said pacing lead and is situated on the outside of short portion of the J and extends away from a long portion of the J in said distal end portion of said pacing lead.

9. The electrode assembly of claim 8 wherein said partial skirt has at least one oblong axially extending opening therein which provides thin skirt portions on either side thereof between an axial side of the opening and an axial edge of said partial skirt and extending axially in said partial skirt, said thin skirt portions facilitating folding over of said partial skirt by reason of reduced material in said skirt.

10. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein said partial skirt has at least one spur extending radially outwardly from said partial skirt.

11. The electrode assembly of claim 10 wherein said spur extends arcuately around said partial skirt.

12. The electrode assembly of claim 10 wherein said spur extends from said partial skirt at or adjacent said rear edge of said partial skirt.

13. The electrode assembly of claim 12 wherein said partial skirt has at least two spurs extending outwardly therefrom, said second spur being spaced forwardly of said first named spur.

14. The electrode assembly of claim 12 wherein said partial skirt has three spurs extending outwardly therefrom, each spaced from each other with the second and third spurs spaced forwardly on said partial skirt from said first named spur.

15. The electrode assembly of claim 10, wherein said spur extends in an arc about said partial skirt and outwardly a distance of approximately 0.020 inch from said partial skirt.

16. The electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein said partial skirt is made of medical quality silicone rubber and has a thickness of approximately 0.020 inch.

17. The electrode assembly of claim 1 having means for separating said partial skirt into at least two thin skirt portions, said means being defined by one oblong axially extending opening in said skirt which provides said thin skirt portions on either side thereof between an axial side of the opening and an axial edge of said partial skirt, said thin skirt portions extending axially in said partial skirt and facilitating folding over of said partial skirt by reason of reduced material in said skirt.