Epicardial electrode
OwnerH. Kenith Fanginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An epicardial electrode (10) includes a generally parallelepiped flexible body (12). The epicardial electrode has an electrode element (22) attached to the center of a first side (14) for conveying electrical stimulation to cardiac muscle, and a lead (24) attached to the flexible body at a lead side (18). The lead has at least an insulated cathode conductor (26) electrically coupled to the electrode element. The epicardial electrode also has two pairs of prongs (31-34), electrically insulated from the electrode element, for anchoring the epicardial electrode to the heart. The tip (41-44) of each prong is dull. The flexible body has two elongate holes (51-52) on opposite sides of the flexible body sized to accept rods of a tool for flexing the epicardial electrode.
Claims20
An epicardial electrode, comprising:
- a generally parallelepiped flexible body having a first side, a back second side opposite the first side, a lead side, and a side opposite the lead side;
- an electrode element attached to the first side at the center of the first side for conveying electrical stimulation to cardiac muscle;
- a lead attached to the flexible body at the lead side, the lead having at least an insulated cathode conductor electrically coupled to the electrode element;
- and
- two pairs of prongs insulated from the electrode element, each prong protruding from the first side of the flexible body, the external tip of each prong being dull, thereby allowing anchoring of the epicardial electrode to the cardiac muscle with minimal trauma to the cardiac muscle.
An epicardial electrode, comprising:
- a generally parallelepiped flexible body having a first side, a back second side opposite the first side, a lead side, and a side opposite the lead side, and in which the flexible body has two elongate holes distal from the first side, each of the two elongate holes being on opposite sides of the flexible body, the elongate holes having an elongate axis parallel to the first side and perpendicular to the lead side;
- an electrode element attached to the first side at the center of the first side for conveying electrical stimulation to cardiac muscle;
- a lead attached to the flexible body at the lead side, the lead having at least an insulated cathode conductor electrically coupled to the electrode element;
- and
- two pairs of prongs insulated from the electrode element, each prong protruding from the first side of the flexible body.
A method of placing an epicardial electrode in operative position on a heart, the epicardial electrode having a flexible body with a planar first side, the first side having an electrode element attached thereto for stimulating cardiac muscle, and two pairs of prongs protruding from the first side for anchoring the epicardial electrode to myocardium, the tip of each prong being dull, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying force to flex the flexible body such that the first side becomes convex;
- (b) while flexed, positioning the epicardial electrode at a predetermined location on the heart such that the electrode element is in intimate contact with the heart;
- and
- (c) while the electrode element is in intimate contact with the heart, removing the force to allow the first side to return to a planar shape, causing the prongs to penetrate the myocardium, thereby anchoring the epicardial electrode to the heart.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.