Transesophageal medical lead
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transesophageal medical lead, comprising:
- (a) an elongated, flexible lead body having first proximal and first distal ends, the lead body having a plurality of elongated lumens disposed therewithin and extending at least substantially between the first distal and first proximal ends of the lead body;
(b) at least one external electrical connector;
(c) a pull wire having second distal and second proximal ends, the pull wire being slidably disposed in a first of the plurality of lumens, the second distal end of the pull wire being fixedly attached at or near the first distal end of the lead body;
(d) at least one electrical conductor having third distal and third proximal ends and disposed in a second of the plurality of lumens, the third proximal end of the at least one electrical conductor being mechanically and electrically connected to the at least one external electrical connector;
(e) a distention mechanism located at or near the first distal end of the lead body, comprising;
(1) at least one flexible arm having at least one cardiac sensing, monitoring or defibrillating electrode disposed or mounted thereon, the at least one electrode being mechanically and electrically connected to a point at or near the third distal end of the at least one electrical conductor;
(2) a stiffening mechanism having a central axially-extending aperture disposed therewithin, the pull wire slidably engaging and passing through the central aperture of the stiffening mechanism;
wherein the distention mechanism is laterally expandable and retractable respecting the lead body through retraction of the pull wire by a user, the stiffening mechanism providing the amount of structural compression required in the region of the distention mechanism to prevent the at least one arm from bowing outwardly in an undesired direction or orientation when the pull wire is retracted by the user, the medical lead being transnasally or transorally insertable in an esophagus of a subject when the distention mechanism is retracted.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mechanically expandable esophageal medical lead has an elongated flexible body which carries at a distal end thereof one or more electrically conducting members. The conducting members are moveable laterally with respect to the body portion of the medical lead by means of a mechanical structure contained therein. The degree and extent of mechanical movement can be controlled through manipulation of a pull wire axial movement mechanism.
137 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A transesophageal medical lead, comprising:
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(a) an elongated, flexible lead body having first proximal and first distal ends, the lead body having a plurality of elongated lumens disposed therewithin and extending at least substantially between the first distal and first proximal ends of the lead body; (b) at least one external electrical connector; (c) a pull wire having second distal and second proximal ends, the pull wire being slidably disposed in a first of the plurality of lumens, the second distal end of the pull wire being fixedly attached at or near the first distal end of the lead body; (d) at least one electrical conductor having third distal and third proximal ends and disposed in a second of the plurality of lumens, the third proximal end of the at least one electrical conductor being mechanically and electrically connected to the at least one external electrical connector; (e) a distention mechanism located at or near the first distal end of the lead body, comprising; (1) at least one flexible arm having at least one cardiac sensing, monitoring or defibrillating electrode disposed or mounted thereon, the at least one electrode being mechanically and electrically connected to a point at or near the third distal end of the at least one electrical conductor; (2) a stiffening mechanism having a central axially-extending aperture disposed therewithin, the pull wire slidably engaging and passing through the central aperture of the stiffening mechanism; wherein the distention mechanism is laterally expandable and retractable respecting the lead body through retraction of the pull wire by a user, the stiffening mechanism providing the amount of structural compression required in the region of the distention mechanism to prevent the at least one arm from bowing outwardly in an undesired direction or orientation when the pull wire is retracted by the user, the medical lead being transnasally or transorally insertable in an esophagus of a subject when the distention mechanism is retracted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A transesophageal medical lead, comprising:
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(a) means for forming an elongated, flexible lead body having first proximal and first distal ends, the lead body forming means having a plurality of means for forming elongated lumens disposed therewithin and extending at least substantially between the first distal and first proximal ends of the lead body forming means; (b) at least one external means for electrically connecting; (c) means for pulling having second distal and second proximal ends, the pulling means being slidably disposed in a first of the plurality of lumen forming means, the second distal end of the pulling means being fixedly attached at or near the first distal end of the lead body forming means; (d) at least one means for conducting electricity having third distal and third proximal ends and disposed in a second of the plurality of lumen forming means, the third proximal end of the at least one electricity conducting means being mechanically and electrically connected to the at least one external electrically connecting means; (e) a means for distending located at or near the first distal end of the lead body forming means, comprising; (1) at least one flexible rib means having at least one means for sensing, monitoring or defibrillating disposed or mounted thereon, the at least one sensing means being mechanically and electrically connected to a point at or near the third distal end of the at least one electricity conducting means; (2) a means for stiffening having a central axially-extending aperture disposed therewithin, the pulling means slidably engaging and passing through the central aperture of the stiffening means; wherein the distending means is laterally expandable and retractable respecting the lead body forming means through retraction of the pulling means by a user, the stiffening means providing the amount of structural compression required in the region of the distending means to prevent the at least one rib means from bowing outwardly in an undesired direction or orientation when the pulling means is retracted by the user, the medical lead being transnasally or transorally insertable in an esophagus of a subject when the distending means is retracted. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of making a transesophageal medical lead, the medical comprising an elongated, flexible lead body having first proximal and first distal ends, the lead body having a plurality of elongated lumens disposed therewithin and extending at least substantially between the first distal and first proximal ends of the lead body, at least one external electrical connector, a pull wire having second distal and second proximal ends, the pull wire being slidably disposed in a first of the plurality of lumens, the second distal end of the pull wire being fixedly attached at or near the first distal end of the lead body, at least one electrical conductor having third distal and third proximal ends and disposed in a second of the plurality of lumens, the third proximal end of the at least one electrical conductor being mechanically and electrically connected to the at least one external electrical connector, a distention mechanism located at or near the first distal end of the lead body, the distention mechanism comprising at least one flexible arm having at least one cardiac sensing, monitoring or defibrillating electrode disposed or mounted thereon, the at least one electrode being mechanically and electrically connected to a point at or near the third distal end of the at least one electrical conductor, the distention mechanism further comprising a stiffening mechanism having a central axially-extending aperture disposed therewithin, the pull wire slidably engaging and passing through the central aperture of the stiffening mechanism, the distention mechanism being laterally expandable and retractable respecting the lead body through retraction of the pull wire by a user, the stiffening mechanism providing the amount of structural compression required in the region of the distention mechanism to prevent the at least one arm from bowing outwardly in an undesired direction or orientation when the pull wire is retracted by the user, the medical lead being transnasally or transorally insertable in an esophagus of a subject when the distention mechanism is retracted, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing the lead body; (b) providing the at least one external electrical connector; (c) providing the pull wire; (d) providing the at least one electrical conductor; (e) providing the distention mechanism having the at least one flexible arm, the at least one cardiac sensing, monitoring or defibrillating electrode disposed or mounted thereon, and the stiffening mechanism, and (f) assembling the lead body, the at least one external electrical connector, the pull wire, the at least one electrical conductor, and the distention mechanism to form the medical lead.
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23. A method of using a transesophageal medical lead in a patient, the medical comprising an elongated, flexible lead body having first proximal and first distal ends, the lead body having a plurality of elongated lumens disposed therewithin and extending at least substantially between the first distal and first proximal ends of the lead body, at least one external electrical connector, a pull wire having second distal and second proximal ends, the pull wire being slidably disposed in a first of the plurality of lumens, the second distal end of the pull wire being fixedly attached at or near the first distal end of the lead body, at least one electrical conductor having third distal and third proximal ends and disposed in a second of the plurality of lumens, the third proximal end of the at least one electrical conductor being mechanically and electrically connected to the at least one external electrical connector, a distention mechanism located at or near the first distal end of the lead body, the distention mechanism comprising at least one flexible arm having at least one cardiac sensing, monitoring or defibrillating electrode disposed or mounted thereon, the at least one electrode being mechanically and electrically connected to a point at or near the third distal end of the at least one electrical conductor, the distention mechanism further comprising a stiffening mechanism having a central axially-extending aperture disposed therewithin, the pull wire slidably engaging and passing through the central aperture of the stiffening mechanism, the distention mechanism being laterally expandable and retractable respecting the lead body through retraction of the pull wire by a user, the stiffening mechanism providing the amount of structural compression required in the region of the distention mechanism to prevent the at least one arm from bowing outwardly in an undesired direction or orientation when the pull wire is retracted by the user, the medical lead being transnasally or transorally insertable in an esophagus of a subject when the distention mechanism is retracted, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting the distal end of the lead transnasally or transorally into the esophagus of the subject, the distention mechanism being in a retracted state; (b) expanding the distention mechanism in the esophagus so that it assumes an expanded state; (c) sensing, monitoring or defibrillating a heart of the patient with the medical lead; (d) retracting the distention mechanism to the retracted state, and (e) removing the lead from the esophagus of the subject.
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Specification