Magnetically navigated pacing leads, and methods for delivering medical devices

• US 6,817,364 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Inventors: Sell, Jonathan C., Hall, Andrew F., Hastings, Roger N., Garibaldi, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US09/911,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 604/264, 604/510, 604/523, 604/528, 128/899, 607/122, 600/101, 600/585
• US Class Current: 128/899
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0578 having means for removal or extraction

Abstract

A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart includes introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature; magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart; deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site.

Claims

1. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart by extending a guide wire having a magnetically responsive seed thereon through the lumen of the delivery catheter;

applying a magnetic field to orient he seed on the guide wire in the desired direction, advancing the guide wire in the desired direction relative to the delivery catheter, and advancing the delivery catheter over the guide wire;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site.

2. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart by providing a magnetically responsive seed in the lumen of the delivery catheter adjacent the distal end, the magnetic seed having a tether thereon, applying a magnetic field to orient the seed, and thus the distal end portion of the delivery catheter in the desired direction, advancing the catheter in the desired direction, and further comprising the step of removing the magnetically responsive seed from the lumen of the catheter with the tether when the distal end of the delivery catheter is in the desired location in the heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site.

3. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart by inserting a stylette having a magnetically responsive seed thereon into the lumen of the delivery catheter so that the seed is adjacent the distal end, applying a magnetic field to orient the seed, and thus the distal end portion of the delivery catheter in the desired direction, advancing the catheter in the desired direction by pushing the catheter and/or the stylette, and further comprising the step of removing the stylette from the lumen of the catheter when the distal end of the delivery catheter is in the desired location in the heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the livery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site.

4. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a the distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the delivery catheter comprising an inflatable balloon adjacent the distal end;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart by inflating the balloon with a magnetically responsive material, applying a magnetic field to orient the balloon on the distal end portion of the delivery catheter in the desired direction, advancing the catheter in the desired direction; and

further comprising the step of removing the magnetically responsive material from the balloon when the distal end of the delivery catheter is in the desired location in the heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site.

5. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site by extending a guide wire having a magnetically responsive seed thereon through the lumen of the pacing lead;

applying a magnetic field to orient the seed on the guide wire in the desired direction, advancing the guide wire in the desired direction relative to the pacing lead, and advancing the pacing lead over the guide wire.

6. A method of placing a pacing lead the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site by providing a magnetically responsive seed in the lumen of the pacing lead adjacent the distal end, the magnetic seed having a tether thereon, applying a magnetic field to orient the seed, and thus the distal end portion of the pacing lead in the desired direction, advancing the pacing lead in the desired direction, and further comprising the step of removing the magnetically responsive seed from the lumen of the pacing lead with the tether when the distal end of the pacing lead is in the desired location at the pacing site.

7. A method of placing a pacing lead in the heart, the method comprising:

introducing a distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site by inserting a stylette having a magnetically responsive seed thereon into the lumen of the pacing lead so that the seed is adjacent the distal end, applying a magnetic field to orient the seed, and thus the distal end portion of the pacing lead in the desired direction, advancing the catheter in the desired direction by pushing the catheter and/or the stylette, and further comprising the step of removing the stylette from the lumen of the pacing lead when the distal end of the pacing lead catheter is in the desired location at the pacing site.

8. A method of placing a pacing lead including a magnetically responsive body in the heart, method comprising:

introducing a the distal end of a delivery catheter into the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

magnetically navigating, the distal end of the delivery catheter to the patient'"'"'s heart;

deploying a pacing lead from the distal end of the delivery catheter; and

magnetically navigating the pacing lead to the pacing application site by applying a magnetic field to orient a balloon on the distal end portion of the delivery catheter in the desired direction, advancing the pacing lead in the desired direction.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the magnetically responsive body on the pacing lead loses responsiveness with time.