Tine fixation components for implantable medical devices

• US 9,987,483 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rys, Kenneth D, Anderson, Thomas A, Grubac, Vladimir, Kuhn, Jonathan L
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US15/442,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20170165479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 607126, 607128, 607130
• 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 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37518 Anchoring of the implants, e.g. fixation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes

Abstract

A tine portion for an implantable medical device includes a hook segment and a distal segment terminated by a tissue-piercing tip, wherein the distal segment extends from the hook segment to the tip. The hook segment, which is elastically deformable from a pre-set curvature, has one of: a round cross-section and an elliptical cross-section, while the distal segment has a flattened, or approximately rectangular cross-section. One or a pair of the tine portions may be integrally formed, with a base portion, from a superelastic wire, wherein the base portion is configured to fixedly attach to the device, for example, being captured between insulative members of a fixation subassembly.

Claims

1. A tissue-penetrating fixation component for an implantable medical device comprising:

a base portion being configured to be fixedly attached to the medical device; and

a plurality of tine portions integrally formed with the base portion, each of the plurality of tine portions comprising;

a hook segment having one of a round cross section that has a diameter and a continuous curvature around the round cross section or an elliptical cross-section that has a major axis and a minor axis and a continuous curvature around the elliptical cross-section, the hook segment being pre-set to extend along a curvature from a proximal end thereof, in proximity to the base portion, to a distal end thereof, the hook segment also being elastically deformable from the pre-set curvature to an open position; and

a distal segment that is separate from the hook segment, the distal segment being terminated by a tissue-piercing tip, the distal segment having a flattened cross-section and being pre-set to extend along a line that is tangent to the distal end of the hook segment, from the distal end of the hook segment to the tip.

2. The component of claim 1, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is greater than 180 degrees.

3. The component of claim 1, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is 180 degrees.

4. The component of claim 1, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is less than 180 degrees.

5. The component of claim 1, wherein the base portion and the plurality of tine portions are integrally formed from a superelastic material.

6. The component of claim 5, wherein the superelastic material comprises Nitinol.

7. The component of claim 1, wherein the base portion extends between the proximal ends of the hook segments.

8. The component of claim 7, wherein the base portion extends along an arc.

9. The component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tine portions comprises four tine portions spaced apart from one another by 90 degrees.

10. An implantable medical device comprising:

a hermetically sealed housing; and

a tissue-penetrating fixation member comprising;

a base portion being configured to be fixedly attached to the medical device; and

a plurality of tine portions integrally formed with the base portion, each of the plurality of tine portions comprising;

a hook segment having one of a round cross section that has a diameter and a continuous curvature around the round cross section or an elliptical cross-section that has a major axis and a minor axis and a continuous curvature around the elliptical cross-section, the hook segment being pre-set to extend along a curvature from a proximal end thereof, in proximity to the base portion, to a distal end thereof, the hook segment also being elastically deformable from the pre-set curvature to an open position; and

a distal segment that is separate from the hook segment, the distal segment being terminated by a tissue-piercing tip, the distal segment having a flattened cross-section and being pre-set to extend along a line that is tangent to the distal end of the hook segment, from the distal end of the hook segment to the tip.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is greater than 180 degrees.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is 180 degrees.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the angle enclosed by the pre-set curvature of the hook segment is less than 180 degrees.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the base portion and the plurality of tine portions are integrally formed from a superelastic material.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the superelastic material comprises Nitinol.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the base portion extends between the proximal ends of the hook segments.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the base portion extends along an arc.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tine portions comprises four tine portions spaced apart from one another by 90 degrees.