| US 7,496,410 B2 | ||
| Spring fixation mechanism for epicardial leads | ||
| Ronald W. Heil, Jr., Roseville, Minn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., St. Paul, Minn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 10, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/32,445. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0155353 A1, Jul. 13, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61N 1/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 607—126 | 23 Claims |
| 1. A lead for insertion into a myocardium of a heart, the lead comprising:
a lead body defining a lumen extending therethrough, the lead body having a proximal end, a distal end and one or more conductors
disposed therein, the lead body distal end having an exit port for the lumen;
a stylet slidably disposed in the lumen and having a sharpened distal end, the stylet having a size and length sufficient
to pass through the lumen and exit the lumen through the distal port such that the sharpened distal end can be extended from
the lead body distal end to pierce the myocardium, providing a pilot hole for the lead body;
an electrode coupled near the distal end of the lead body; and
a spring fixation mechanism including a spring member and a stop, the spring member formed about the lead body and extending
from a spring proximal end slidable relative to the lead body to a spring distal end fixed to the lead body, the stop coupled
to the spring proximal end and sized to be retained outside of an epicardium of the heart such that as the lead body is advanced
into the epicardium using a distally directed axial force, the spring is stretched between the stop and the distal end of
the spring, and, upon removal of the axial force, the spring retracts, capturing epicardial tissue between coils of the spring.
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