Implantable medical devices including tine fixation component having hook segment

• US 9,155,882 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Grubac, Vladimir, Kuhn, Jonathan L, Rys, Kenneth D, Swenson, Richard W
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US13/955,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 607/126, 607/128, 607/130
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0573 chacterised by means penetrating the heart tissue, e.g. helix needle or hook
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0578 having means for removal or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/058 Fixing tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes

Abstract

A tine portion of an implantable medical device includes a hook segment and a distal segment extending therefrom, wherein the hook segment is pre-set to extend along a curvature and is elastically deformable therefrom to an open position. The distal segment includes a tooth and an end that surrounds the tooth, wherein the end includes a pair of legs and a distal arch. The legs extend along a length of, and on opposing sides of the tooth, and the distal arch extends between the legs, distal to a tissue-piercing tip of the tooth. When the hook segment is in the open position, and a force is applied along a longitudinal axis of the device, to push the distal arch of the distal segment against tissue, for initial tissue penetration, the legs of the end of the distal segment bend in elastic deformation to expose the tissue-piercing tip to the tissue.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising a hermetically sealed housing and a tissue-penetrating fixation component, the housing defining a longitudinal axis of the device, and the fixation component comprising a base portion fixedly attached to the housing and at least one tine portion extending therefrom, the at least one tine portion comprising a hook segment and a distal segment, the hook segment being pre-set to extend along a curvature that encloses an angle of between 135 degrees and 270 degrees, from a proximal end thereof, in proximity to the base portion, to a distal end thereof, the distal segment being pre-set to extend along a straight line that is tangent to the distal end of the hook segment, and the hook segment being elastically deformable from the pre-set curvature to an open position;

and wherein;

the distal segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component comprises a tooth and an end that surrounds the tooth;

the tooth includes a foot and a tissue-piercing tip, a length of the tooth being defined from the foot to the tip;

the end includes a pair of legs and a distal arch, the legs extending along the length of the tooth, on opposing sides thereof, the distal arch extending between the legs and distal to the tip, the legs being configured to bend in elastic deformation, when the hook segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component is elastically deformed to the open position and a force is applied, along the longitudinal axis, to push the distal arch of the distal segment against tissue, for initial tissue penetration, and the bending of the legs exposing the tip of the tooth of the distal segment to the tissue; and

the tooth of the distal segment is configured to resist bending when the force is applied.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tooth of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component tapers from a first width thereof, at the foot, to a smaller, second width thereof, at the tissue-piercing tip.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the length of the tooth is between 0.03 inch and 0.05 inch.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the first width is between 0.010 inch and 0.015 inch, and the second width is 0.003 inch.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the hook segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component tapers from a first width thereof, at the proximal end thereof, to a smaller, second width thereof, in proximity to the distal end thereof.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a width of the distal segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation member, defined by the pair of legs thereof, is greater than the second width of the hook segment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the distal segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component extends toward the longitudinal axis, when the hook segment of the at least one tine portion conforms to the pre-set curvature.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the distal segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, when the hook segment of the at least one tine portion conforms to the pre-set curvature.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the preset curvature of the hook segment of the at least one tine portion of the fixation component is defined by a single radius, the radius being 0.085 inch, and a length of the distal segment is between 0.05 inch and 0.1 inch.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the base portion of the fixation component comprises a ring that extends around the longitudinal axis; and

the at least one tine portion of the fixation component comprises a plurality of tines spaced apart from one another around a circumference of the ring.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one tine portion of the fixation component has a substantially constant thickness along an entire length thereof, from the proximal end of the hook segment to the distal arch of the end of the distal segment.