Tripolar stimulation of heart chambers

• US 6,341,234 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1999
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronik Mess-Und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Company Ingenieurbuero Berlin (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Biotronik Mess-Und Therapiegeraete GmbH & Company Ingenieurbuero Berlin (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Schaldach, Max, Thong, Tran
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US09/335,037
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 607/4, 607/5, 607/9, 607/119, 607/122
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes

Abstract

Tripolar stimulation of the heart utilizes electrodes implanted in at least two locations in the heart. In a first case, for bi-atrial or bi-ventricular stimulation, electrodes are placed in an appropriate heart chamber and in a blood vessel of the heart. In a second case, electrodes are placed in two separate locations in the same chamber of the heart. In either case, one location is for performing unipolar stimulation (i.e., has electrodes of only a singular polarity), while the other location is for bipolar stimulation (i.e., has electrodes of both positive and negative polarities).

Claims

1. A method of implementing tripolar cardiac stimulation in a heart, comprising the steps of:

(a) implanting a cardiac stimulation device having anodic and cathodic connections and including means for providing electrical stimulation pulses through said anodic and cathodic connections;

(b) electrically connecting first and second electrode lines to respective ones of the anodic and cathodic connections;

(c) electrically coupling at least two electrodes to one of the electrode lines;

(d) electrically coupling at least one electrode to the other electrode line; and

(e) implanting at least one of the at least two electrodes electrically coupled to the one electrode line and the at least one electrode electrically coupled to the other electrode line in a heart chamber; and

(f) implanting at least one other of the at least two electrodes electrically coupled to the one electrode line in a blood vessel of the heart.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the atrium and the blood vessel of step (f) is the coronary sinus.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein exactly two electrodes are implanted in the atrium and exactly one electrode is implanted in the coronary sinus.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein one of the electrodes implanted in the atrium is a ring electrode and the other electrode implanted in the atrium is a tip electrode, and further comprising the step of:

(g) electrically coupling the ring electrode to the electrode line coupled to the anodic connection.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the ventricle and the blood vessel of step (f) is the great cardiac vein.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein exactly two electrodes are implanted in the ventricle and exactly one electrode is implanted in the great cardiac vein.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein one of the electrodes implanted in the ventricle is a ring electrode and the second electrode implanted in the ventricle is a tip electrode, and further comprising the step of:

(g) electrically coupling the ring electrode to the electrode line connected to the anodic connection.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein step (f) comprises the step of:

(f1) implanting said at least one other of said at least two electrodes electrically coupled to the one electrode line in said blood vessel of the heart using neither active nor passive fixation.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said first electrode line is connected to said anodic connection and said second electrode line is connected to said cathodic connection.

10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

(g) connecting said first and second electrode lines to a Y-connector, said Y-connector splitting said second electrode line into two cathodic sub-lines, one of which is fed through a first output lead of the Y-connector, the other of which is fed through a second output lead of the Y-connector, while said first electrode line is fed through said first output lead of the Y-connector.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c1) connecting at least one of said at least electrodes to said cathodic sub-line of said first output lead of the Y-connector; and

(c2) connecting at least one other of said at least two electrodes to said cathodic sub-line of said second output lead of the Y-connector; and

wherein step (d) comprises the step of;

(d1) connecting said at least one electrode to said first electrode line passed through said first output lead of said Y-connector.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the atrium and the blood vessel of step (f) is the coronary sinus.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the ventricle and the blood vessel of step (f) is the great cardiac vein.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) connecting one of said first and second electrode lines to a Y-connector, said Y-connector splitting said electrode line into two sub-lines, both of which are separate from the other electrode line.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c1) connecting at least one of said at least two electrodes to one of said sub-lines; and

(c2) connecting at least one other of said at least two electrodes to the other one of said sub-lines; and

wherein step (d) comprises the step of;

(d1) connecting said at least one electrode to the electrode line that was not connected to the Y-connector.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the atrium and the blood vessel of step (f) is the coronary sinus.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the heart chamber of step (e) is the ventricle and the blood vessel of step (f) is the great cardiac vein.