Claims
- 1. A system for delivering one or more electrode assemblies to a predetermined implant site within a body, comprising:
an elongated member having an elongated channel to receive the one or more electrode assemblies, the elongated member further having a lumen which is in fluid communication with the elongated channel via multiple openings; and a stiffening member adapted to be advanced within the lumen, to extend within any of the multiple openings, and to engage an associated one of the one or more electrode assemblies positioned within the elongated channel so that the associated one of the one or more electrode assemblies may be deployed from the elongated channel.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is a canted stylet.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the canted stylet includes key means to engage the one or more electrode assemblies.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end including at least one marker to enable the distal end to be positioned adjacent a selected one of the multiple openings.
- 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the elongated member has a proximal end including a handle, and wherein the handle includes a travel limiter, and wherein the at least one marker is adapted to collide with the travel limiter to allow the distal end of the stiffening member to be positioned adjacent a selected one of the multiple openings.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the travel limiter includes a spring-loaded grip.
- 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tubular member includes an inflatable member and an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the inflatable member, the inflatable member adapted to be inflated to maintain tubular member at the predetermined implant site.
- 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the handle includes a port in fluid communication with the channel, the port to allow fluid to be provided to the channel to lubricate the channel during deployment of the one or more electrode assemblies.
- 9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the electrode assemblies is coupled to a respective lead, and further including a sheath releaseably coupled to the elongated member, ones of the leads to be advanced through the sheath to maintain the ones of the leads in a substantially stationary position with respect to one another.
- 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sheath includes means for selectively tightening the sheath around the ones of the leads.
- 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated member includes an inflatable collar to temporarily maintain the elongated member at the predetermined site of implant.
- 12. An electrode assembly system, comprising:
an elongated implantable member having at least one cutaway portion in fluid communication with an external surface of the elongated implantable member, the elongated implantable member further having a lumen in fluid communication with each of the at least one cutaway portions via respective gaps; and a respective electrode assembly loaded into each of the at least one cutaway portions.
- 13. The electrode assembly system of claim 12, and further including a stiffening member inserted into the lumen.
- 14. The electrode assembly system of claim 13, wherein the stiffening member is a canted stylet adapted to be advanced within the lumen through any of the gaps to engage a respective electrode assembly.
- 15. The electrode assembly system of claim 14, wherein the canted stylet includes a keyed structure to engage the respective electrode assembly.
- 16. The electrode assembly system of claim 12, wherein the elongated implantable member includes an inflation member adapted to temporarily retain the elongated implantable member at a predetermined location within a body.
- 17. The electrode assembly system of claim 12, wherein one of the electrode assemblies each include at least one expandable member adapted to expand after being deployed from a respective one of the at least one cutaway portions.
- 18. The electrode assembly system of claim 17, wherein the expandable member is an expandable tine.
- 19. The electrode assembly system of claim 17, wherein the expandable member is an expandable braided structure.
- 20. The electrode assembly system of claim 17, wherein the expandable member is a deformable, substantially tubular structure.
- 21. The electrode assembly system of claim 13, wherein the stiffening member includes marker means for enabling the stiffening member to be positioned at one or more predetermined locations within the lumen.
- 22. The electrode assembly system of claim 21, wherein the marker means includes visible markings.
- 23. The electrode assembly system of claim 21, wherein the marker means includes means for engaging the elongated implantable member when the stiffening member is in at least one predetermined position with respect to the elongated implantable member.
- 24. The electrode assembly system of claim 12, wherein each of the electrode assemblies is coupled to a lead extending through the respective cutaway portion and positioned adjacent the external surface of the elongated implantable member.
- 25. The electrode assembly system of claim 24, and further including a sheath surrounding ones of the leads.
- 26. The electrode assembly system of claim 25, wherein the sheath includes a tether coupled to the elongated implantable member.
- 27. A method of placing at least one electrode assembly within one or more vessels of a body, including the methods of:
a.) advancing a tubular member to a first predetermined implant site within a body, the tubular member having a channel engaging the at least one electrode assembly, the tubular member further including a lumen in fluid communication with the channel via one or more openings in the lumen; b.) advancing a stiffening member within the lumen until a distal end of the stylet enters a selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen; c.) engaging the stiffening member with an associated one of the at least one electrode assembly located proximate to the selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen; and d.) utilizing the stiffening member to cause the associated one of the at least one electrode assembly to exit the channel.
- 28. The method of claim 27, and further including the methods of:
e.) withdrawing the stiffening member from the selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen; f.) re-positioning the tubular member at a second predetermined implant site; g.) advancing the stiffening member into a different selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen; h.) repeating methods c.) and d.) for an associated one of the at least one electrode assembly located proximate to the different selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen.
- 29. The method of claim 28, and further including repeating steps e.) through h.) to deploy one or more additional ones of the at least one electrode assembly.
- 30. The method of claim 28, wherein method f.) includes the method of utilizing marker means at a proximal end of the stiffening member to locate the second selected one of the one or more openings in the lumen.
- 31. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one electrode assembly is a self-expanding electrode assembly, and wherein method d.) includes the methods of:
d1.) advancing a distal end of the stiffening member outside a distal end of the channel to cause electrode assembly to exit the channel and expand; d2.) exerting force on the stiffening member in a proximal direction to engage a proximal end of the electrode assembly with a distal end of the tubular member; and d3.) deploying the electrode assembly from the stiffening member with the distal end of the tubular member.
- 32. The method of claim 27, and further including the method of loading each of the at least one electrode assembly within the channel.
- 33. The method of claim 28, and further including the method e.) of fixing the leads of ones of the electrode assemblies in a substantially fixed relationship to one another.
Parent Case Info
[0001] RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This Application claims priority to provisionally-filed U.S. patent application Serial No. 60/258,683 filed Dec. 28, 2000 entitled “System and Method for Placing a Medical Electrical Lead”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60258683 |
Dec 2000 |
US |