Transvascular reshaping lead system

• US 7,979,141 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Moffitt, Julia, Scheiner, Avram, Caparso, Anthony V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES, JON ERIC C
• Application Number:
  US12/564,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 607/117, 607/116, 607/119
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators

Abstract

A system for selective activation of a nerve trunk using a transvascular reshaping lead is provided. One aspect of this disclosure relates to a system for spreading nerve bundles in a nerve trunk. The system includes a lead adapted to be chronically implanted in a blood vessel proximate a nerve trunk, and having an expandable portion adapted to be expanded to reshape the blood vessel to an elongated shape and to reshape the nerve trunk into an elongated shape to spread nerve bundles of the nerve trunk. The system also includes a plurality of electrodes and an implantable device coupled to the lead, where an electrical signal is delivered from the implanted medical device to one of the plurality of electrodes to transvascularly deliver neural stimulation from the electrode to at least one of the nerve bundles of the nerve trunk. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Claims

1. An electrical lead, comprising:

a proximal portion configured to connect to an implantable medical device;

an expandable portion configured to be chronically implanted in a blood vessel proximate a nerve trunk and configured to be expanded to asymmetrically expand the blood vessel against the nerve trunk to stabilize the lead in a fixed position within the vessel; and

a sensor along the expandable portion of the lead.

2. The electrical lead of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of electrodes along the expandable portion of the lead.

3. The electrical lead of claim 2, wherein an electrical signal is delivered from the implanted medical device to one of the plurality of electrodes to transvascularly deliver neural stimulation from the electrode to at least one nerve bundle of the nerve trunk.

4. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense electrical signals from the nerve trunk.

5. The electrical lead of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense blood pressure of the vessel.

6. A method, comprising:

asymmetrically expanding an expandable portion of an electrical lead, adapted to be chronically implanted in a blood vessel proximate a nerve trunk, to stabilize the lead in a fixed position within the vessel;

reshaping the blood vessel by further asymmetrically expanding the expandable portion, to expand the blood vessel against the nerve trunk to reshape the nerve trunk to spread nerve bundles of the nerve trunk; and

delivering an electrical signal from an implanted medical device to an electrode positioned at the expandable portion of the lead to transvascularly deliver neural stimulation from the electrode to at least one of the nerve bundles of the nerve trunk.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein reshaping the blood vessel includes reshaping the blood vessel to an elongated shape.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein reshaping the nerve trunk includes reshaping the nerve trunk into an elongated shape as the vessel expands against the nerve trunk.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein asymmetrically expanding the expandable portion includes expanding the expandable portion into an oval shape.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein asymmetrically expanding includes expanding asymmetrically along a radial axis of the vessel against an inner wall of the vessel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein expanding asymmetrically along a radial axis of the vessel against an inner wall of the vessel includes expanding against an inner wall proximate the nerve trunk.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein delivering an electrical signal includes delivering neural stimulation to selectively activate axons within the nerve trunk.

13. A method, comprising:

placing a transvascular reshaping lead within a blood vessel to position an electrode on the lead proximate a neural target, the neural target including a nerve bundle within a nerve trunk;

spreading nerve bundles within the nerve trunk by expanding the transvascular reshaping lead to asymmetrically expand the blood vessel against the nerve trunk;

delivering an electrical signal from an implanted medical device attached to the lead to the electrode to transvascularly deliver neural stimulation from the electrode to the neural target.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein spreading nerve bundles within the nerve trunk by expanding the transvascular reshaping lead includes bringing vagal neural fibers of interest closer to the electrode.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein spreading nerve bundles within the nerve trunk by expanding the transvascular reshaping lead includes reducing a threshold bias for stimulating the neural target.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the transvascular reshaping lead includes a transvascular prosthetic device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sensing a parameter indicative of blood flow using a sensor positioned on the lead.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

delivering neural stimulation in a closed loop system using the sensed parameter as feedback in the closed loop system.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sensing electrical signals from the nerve trunk using a sensor positioned on the lead.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

delivering neural stimulation in a closed loop system using the sensed electrical signals as feedback in the closed loop system.