Implantable medical electrical stimulation lead fixation method and apparatus

A method of providing electrical stimulation of body tissue at a stimulation site employing an implantable pulse generator, the method comprising:

• percutaneously introducing an introducer having an introducer lumen extending between an introducer lumen proximal end opening and an introducer lumen distal end opening through body tissue to locate the introducer lumen distal end opening adjacent to the stimulation site;
• disposing an implantable medical lead within the introducer lumen, wherein the implantable medical lead comprises:
• a lead body extending between a lead proximal end and a lead distal end;
• P connector elements formed in a connector array along a first segment of the lead body proximate to the lead proximal end;
• P stimulation electrodes arranged in an electrode array extending along a second segment of the lead body proximate to the lead distal end;
• P lead conductors extending between the P connector elements and the P stimulation electrodes;
• and
• a plurality of M tine elements formed in a tine element array extending along a third segment of the lead body between the second segment of the lead body and the lead proximal end, each tine element comprising N flexible tines, each tine having a tine width and a tine thickness and extending through a tine length from an attached tine end to a free tine end, the attached tine end attached to the lead body at a tine attachment site and supporting the tine extending outwardly of the lead body and toward the lead proximal end, whereby the M×N tines are adapted to be folded inward against the lead body when fitted into and constrained by the introducer lumen, wherein the plurality of M tine elements are separate from and axially displaced from each other and from each of the P stimulation electrodes, and wherein all of the P stimulation electrodes are between the plurality of M tine elements and the lead distal end, and
• wherein disposing the implantable medical lead within the introducer lumen comprises disposing the implantable medical lead within the introducer lumen with the M×N tines folded inward against the lead body by constraint imposed by the introducer lumen without overlapping one another;
• withdrawing the introducer proximally from the tine element array to successively release the N tines of each of the M tine elements to deploy outward and toward the lead proximal end to engage body tissue and inhibit axial dislodgement of the P stimulation electrodes;
• and
• coupling the P connector elements to the implantable pulse generator.