Tools and assemblies thereof for implantable medical devices

A tool facilitating deployment of an implantable medical device, the tool comprising:

• a handle assembly including a first control member and a second control member;
• an elongate inner assembly comprising a distal member and a single pull wire and defining a single lumen for the single pull wire, the single pull wire extending from the first control member of the handle assembly to an end of the single pull wire anchored adjacent to the distal member, and the distal member being configured to abut an end of the implantable medical device;
• and
• an outer assembly comprising an elongate deployment tube extending around the inner assembly and being longitudinally moveable by means of the second control member of the handle assembly relative to the inner assembly between first and second positions, the deployment tube including an enlarged distal-most portion and an articulating segment, and a preformed curvature, the articulating segment being located proximal to the enlarged distal-most portion, the preformed curvature being located proximal to the articulating segment of the deployment tube, the distal member of the inner assembly being located within the enlarged distal-most portion, and the enlarged distal-most portion defining a distal opening of the deployment tube;
• wherein the articulating segment of the deployment tube of the outer assembly is defined by a composite sidewall, the composite sidewall including a relatively soft section and a relatively stiff section, the sections extending alongside one another and along a length of the articulating segment and meeting along a line that is tangent to an outside of the preformed curvature such that when the single pull wire of the inner assembly is actuated in a single direction via the first control member the composite sidewall causes the articulating segment of the deployment tube to bend in a first direction and a second direction that is different than the first direction such that the articulating segment articulates in at least two geometric planes;
• wherein the composite sidewall that defines the articulating segment of the deployment tube of the outer assembly comprises a first inner portion extending 360 degrees around the inner assembly to form the relatively soft section of the composite sidewall and a second outer portion extending approximately 180 degrees around the first inner portion to form the relatively stiff section of the composite sidewall;
• wherein substantially an entirety of the implantable medical device is contained within the enlarged distal-most portion of the deployment tube when the deployment tube is in the first position and the end of the implantable medical device abuts the distal member;
• and
• wherein the implantable medical device passes out through the distal opening of the deployment tube when the deployment tube is in the second position.