Implantable medical device having optical fiber for sensing electrical activity
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device, comprising:
- an elongated body extending from a proximal end to a distal end adapted to be engaged along a target site;
a delivery member extending through the elongated body and adapted to deliver a voltage sensitive dye outward from the distal end of the elongated body to the target site via the delivery member;
an optical transmission member, extending through the elongated body, adapted to transmit a signal associated with an action potential corresponding to the target site, andcontrol circuitry coupled to the transmission member for determining whether the action potential is detected from the signal transmitted by the transmission member;
wherein the transmission member is formed as a helical coil positioned about the delivery member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable medical device for optically sensing action potential signals in excitable body tissue. The device includes an elongated tubular lead body carrying an optical fiber extending from a proximal lead end to a distal lead end to position the optical fiber at a target site. The lead body additionally carries a conduit for dispensing a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye into tissue surrounding the target site. The optical fiber transmits excitation light to the fluorescent dye to cause the dye to fluoresce with varying intensity as the transmembrane potentials of local tissue cells vary due to passing depolarization wavefronts. The optical fiber transmits the fluorescence signal to the device to generate an action potential signal or fiducial points of an action potential signal for use in accurately measuring and characterizing electrical activity of excitable tissue.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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an elongated body extending from a proximal end to a distal end adapted to be engaged along a target site; a delivery member extending through the elongated body and adapted to deliver a voltage sensitive dye outward from the distal end of the elongated body to the target site via the delivery member; an optical transmission member, extending through the elongated body, adapted to transmit a signal associated with an action potential corresponding to the target site, and control circuitry coupled to the transmission member for determining whether the action potential is detected from the signal transmitted by the transmission member; wherein the transmission member is formed as a helical coil positioned about the delivery member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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an elongated body extending from a proximal end to a distal end adapted to be engaged along a target site; a delivery member extending through the elongated body and adapted to deliver a voltage sensitive dye outward from the distal end of the elongated body to the target site via the delivery member; and a transmission member, extending through the elongated body, adapted to transmit a signal associated with an action potential corresponding to the target site, a fixation member positioned along the distal end of the elongated body to fixedly position the distal end of the elongated body at the target site; and control circuitry coupled to the transmission member for determining whether the action potential is detected from the signal transmitted by the transmission member wherein the delivery member extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is capable of being advanced between a first position corresponding to the distal end of the delivery member being positioned within the elongated body and a second position corresponding to the distal end of the delivery member being advanced outward from the distal end of the elongated body to further extend within the target site; wherein the transmission member is positioned within the delivery member and is extendable between a first position corresponding to a distal end of the transmission member being positioned within the delivery member and a second position corresponding to one of the distal end of the transmission member extending outward from the distal end of the delivery member and the distal end of the transmission member being substantially adjacent to the distal end of the delivery member; wherein the fixation member is formed as a helical shaped fixation member and the delivery member is extendable through and outward from a distal end of the fixation member to further extend within the target site.
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11. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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an elongated body extending from a proximal end to a distal end adapted to be engaged along a target site; a delivery member extending through the elongated body and adapted to deliver a voltage sensitive dye outward from the distal end of the elongated body to the target site via the delivery member; a transmission member, extending through the elongated body, adapted to transmit a signal associated with an action potential corresponding to the target site, and control circuitry coupled to the transmission member for determining whether the action potential is detected from the signal transmitted by the transmission member; wherein the transmission member is positioned within the delivery member; wherein the delivery member extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is capable of being advanced between a first position corresponding to the distal end of the delivery member being positioned within the elongated body and a second position corresponding to the distal end of the delivery member being advanced outward from the distal end of the elongated body to further extend within the target site; wherein the elongated body includes an inner surface forming a first lumen and the member further comprises; a first engaging member positioned along the inner surface of the elongated body; a positioning member extending through the elongated body and having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface of the positioning member forming a second lumen and the delivery member extending through the second lumen; a second engaging member positioned along the outer surface of the positioning member; a third engaging member positioned along a portion of the inner surface of the positioning member; and a fourth engaging member positioned along the outer surface of the delivery member, wherein the first engaging member engages the second engaging member to fixedly position the positioning member longitudinally relative to the delivery member during rotation of the delivery member relative to the positioning member, and the third engaging member engages the fourth engaging member to advance the delivery member outward from the elongated body in response to the delivery member being rotated in a first direction and to retract the delivery member within the elongated body in response to the delivery member being rotated in a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for sensing an action potential signal corresponding to a target site in a patient, comprising:
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positioning an elongated body along the target site; extending a transmission member through the elongated member to the target site; delivering a voltage sensitive dye to the target site; sensing a signal associated with the voltage sensitive dye; determining whether the action potential associated with the target site is detected from the sensed signal; generating a sense signal in response to the action potential being detected; and determining an intrinsic heart rate and inhibiting a pacing output in response to the generated sense signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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means for positioning an elongated body having a distal end adapted to be engaged along a target site; means for extending a transmission member through the elongated member to the target site; means for delivering a voltage sensitive dye to the target site; means for sensing a signal associated with the voltage sensitive dye; means for determining whether an action potential associated with the target site is detected from the sensed signal; means for generating a sense signal in response to the action potential being detected; means for delivering a pacing output to the target site; and means for determining an intrinsic heart rate and inhibiting the pacing output in response to the generated sense signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification