Passive fixation for epicardial lead

• US 7,920,928 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yang, Michael, Hou, Wenbo, Williams, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman; Mark W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinga; Roland
• Application Number:
  US11/669,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 607/115, 607/116, 607/119, 607/126, 607/129, 607/130, 607/132
• US Class Current: 607/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0587 Epicardial electrode systems; Endocardial electrodes piercing the pericardium

Abstract

An epicardial lead is passively fixed in a pericardial space by a passive fixation member. The passive fixation member extends from a distal portion of an epicardial lead and acts against a pericardial layer and an epicardial layer to hold the lead in place. The epicardial lead may include an electrode that is connected to a conductor that extends from a distal portion of the lead. In some embodiments the epicardial lead includes a material that promotes fibrosis to fix the lead to heart tissue. The passive fixation member may include a shocking coil.

Claims

1. An implantable epicardial lead, comprising:

a lead body having a lumen extending there through and an electrical connector at a proximal end;

an elongated, passive fixation member fixed to a distal portion of the lead body and having a curved portion predisposed to extend from the distal portion of the lead body;

the curved portion itself defining a closed or semi-closed loop shape having an interior inside said loop, the curved portion defining the closed or semi-closed loop shape further defining a lumen extending there through in fluid communication with the lumen extending through the lead body, wherein the lumen extending through the curved portion defining the closed or semi-closed loop shape is adapted to accept a stylet;

a conductor that extends from the distal portion of the lead body and electrically connects with the electrical connector;

a cardiac sensing and/or pacing electrode coupled to the conductor; and

at least one structural support member extending from the fixation member to the interior of the closed or semi-closed shape defined by the fixation member to hold the electrode in place within the interior of the closed or semi-closed shape, wherein at least a portion of the at least one structural support member is flexible.

2. The lead of claim 1, wherein the closed or semi-closed loop shape is substantially flat and lies substantially parallel to or along a longitudinal axis of the lead body, wherein the fixation member is flexible and resilient such that the fixation member is adapted to:

bend to an elongated shape that facilitates insertion of the fixation member into a delivery instrument,

reorient from the elongated shape to the predisposed closed or semi-closed loop shape, and

spring back in response to mechanical deformation resulting from force applied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the closed or semi-closed loop shape.

3. The lead of claim 1, wherein the fixation member is predisposed to define a semi-closed loop shape.

4. The lead of claim 3, wherein the fixation member is adapted to bend to a substantially linear shape to facilitate insertion of the fixation member into a delivery instrument.

5. The lead of claim 3, wherein the semi-closed loop shape comprises a substantially closed loop.

6. The lead of claim 1, wherein the fixation member is predisposed to define a loop shape.

7. The lead of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises a plurality of predisposed bends to define the closed or semi-closed loop shape.

8. The lead of claim 1, comprising a thrombotic material adapted to promote fibrosis to fix the lead to heart tissue.

9. The lead of claim 1, comprising a material having a rough, porous surface attached to the lead body and/or the conductor, wherein the material is adapted to promote fibrosis to fix the lead to heart tissue.

10. The lead of claim 1, wherein the fixation member is configured to transition along its longitudinal axis between a normally curved shape and an elongated shape.

11. The lead of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises a shocking coil.

12. The lead of claim 1, comprising a second electrode coupled to a second conductor that extends from the distal portion of the lead body, wherein the electrode and the second electrode comprise a bipolar electrode.

13. The lead of claim 1, wherein the at least one structural support member is further adapted to maintain the electrode at a desired orientation relative to epicardial tissue upon implant.

14. The lead of claim 1, wherein the at least one structural support member comprises a plurality of structural support members.

15. The lead of claim 1, wherein:

the fixation member is predisposed to define a loop shape; and

the at least one structural support member comprises a plurality of structural support members.

16. The lead of claim 15, wherein the fixation member comprises a shocking coil.

17. The lead of claim 1, wherein the passive fixation member has a non-linear profile.

18. The lead of claim 1, wherein the passive fixation member has a substantially flat profile and extends substantially, but not entirely, parallel to or along a longitudinal axis of the lead body.

19. The lead of claim 1, wherein the passive fixation member has a three-dimensional profile including a plurality of humps.