Method and apparatus for implanting a medical device in a coronary sinus

A method for implanting a leadless pacemaker in a target cardiac tissue, the method comprising:

• inserting into a vasculature of a patient a system for delivery of the leadless pacemaker, the system comprising:
• a catheter comprising an elongate flexible tubular body with a distal end having a delivery cup, and wherein an external surface of the delivery cup comprises an expandable member;
• and
• a pacing capsule releasably retained in the delivery cup, wherein the pacing capsule comprises an electrode and an arrangement of tines configured to affix the pacing capsule to the target cardiac tissue, wherein the target cardiac tissue is a wall of a coronary sinus;
• maneuvering the delivery cup in the vasculature of the patient to an implant location in the coronary sinus of the patient;
• at least partially expanding the expandable member to urge the delivery cup against the target cardiac tissue and anchor the delivery cup at the implant location, wherein the expandable member, when expanded, applies a force against a first wall of the coronary sinus;
• and
• deploying the pacing capsule from the delivery cup so that the tines deploy laterally from the delivery cup and pierce into the target tissue to embed the electrode in the target tissue and affix the pacing capsule in the target tissue at the implant location, wherein the target tissue is a second wall of the coronary sinus opposite the first wall thereof.

A method for implanting a leadless pacemaker in a target cardiac tissue in a coronary sinus of a patient, the method comprising:

• inserting into a vasculature of a patient a system for delivery of the leadless pacemaker, the system comprising:
• a catheter comprising an elongate flexible tubular body with a distal end having a delivery cup, and wherein an external surface of the delivery cup comprises an expandable member;
• and
• a pacing capsule releasably retained in the delivery cup, wherein the pacing capsule comprises an electrode and an arrangement of tines configured to affix the pacing capsule to the target cardiac tissue;
• maneuvering the delivery cup in the vasculature of the patient to an implant location in a first wall of the coronary sinus of the patient;
• expanding the expandable member to urge the delivery cup against the first wall of the coronary sinus opposite a second wall and temporarily affix the delivery cup at the implant location, wherein the expandable member, when expanded, applies a force against the second wall of the coronary sinus;
• and
• deploying the pacing capsule from the delivery cup so that the tines deploy laterally from the delivery cup into the first wall to pierce and embed in the first wall to implant the pacing capsule in the first wall, and the electrode embeds in the first wall.