Method for fixing pervenous electrode in atrial pacing and device therefor

A method for the fixation of pacemaker electrodes of an atrial pacemaker in the right atrium of a given patient, which method comprises the steps of:

• inserting through the subclavian vein into the right atrium an inspection catheter composed of a slender outer tube having at least a pair of electrodes at the leading end thereof and a flexible guidewire slidably built in the outer tube and having the leading end connected to the leading end of the outer tube;
• operating the inserted catheter to explore the endocardium of the right atrium, thereby to determine the optimum position for the fixation of the pacemaker electrodes by measuring the endocardial potential through probing contact by said electrodes of the endocardium of the right atrium;
• causing the guidewire, subsequently to the determination of the optimum position, to be pushed into the outer tube to form a loop of a desired size at the leading end of the outer tube inside the right atrium under the state of keeping the leading end portion of the guidewire at the optimum position;
• piercing a double lumen needle through the chest wall in the direction of the leading end portion of the outer tube under fluoroscopic observation;
• inserting an induction wire serving to guide the pacemaker electrodes into the atrium through the double lumen needle into the interior of the right atrium;
• pulling backwardly the guidewire relative to the outer tube to contract the loop for thereby causing the induction wire to be caught fast by the leading end of the inspection catheter;
• extracting the inspection catheter from the right atrium and the subclavian vein along with the part of the induction wire caught by the leading end of the inspection catheter;
• releasing the inspection catheter from the induction wire;
• connecting the induction wire with a sutural thread disposed at the pacemaker electrodes;
• causing the rear end of the induction wire protruding from the exposed end of the double lumen needle to be drawn out of the double lumen needle so as to draw the pacemaker electrodes into the interior of the right atrium;
• removing the double lumen needle from the chest wall;
• and
• suturing the sutural thread on the subcutanous tissue, thereby to fix the pacemaker electrodes in the right atrium.