Leadless Pacemaker Electrode with Biasing Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pacemakers require electrical leads that can interfere with cardiac tissue and may not provide reliable electrical contact, leading to increased impedance and reduced battery longevity, as well as limited sensing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The development of leadless cardiac pacemakers with a distal electrode support that allows the electrode to extend and move axially, combined with a tissue ingrowth inhibiting outer sleeve and a conductive spring, ensuring reliable electrical contact with cardiac tissue while minimizing tissue interference and accommodating movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pacemakers use electrical leads to deliver therapy, then therapy delivery is achieved, but the leads interfere with cardiac tissue and may not provide reliable electrical contact, leading to increased impedance and reduced battery longevity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the electrical lead from the system entirely, extracting the harmful element that caused tissue interference and unreliable contact. The leadless pacemaker delivers therapy directly from the housing electrodes without any intermediate lead structure, eliminating the source of the problem while maintaining therapy delivery functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a movable electrode assembly as an intermediary between the housing and the cardiac tissue. This electrode can move axially to optimize contact with the tissue, acting as a mediator that ensures reliable electrical contact while minimizing interference through its controlled movement and positioning capabilities.
2Reliability
If the electrode is fixed in position, then structural simplicity is maintained, but reliable electrical contact with cardiac tissue cannot be ensured due to tissue movement and variability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the electrode from a fixed structure to a dynamic, movable assembly that can adjust its position axially. The electrode support mechanism allows the electrode to move in response to tissue conditions, enabling the system to adapt to tissue movement and variability while maintaining reliable electrical contact throughout the cardiac cycle.
3Reliability
If the electrode extends further from the housing, then electrical contact with cardiac tissue is improved, but the risk of tissue interference and mechanical instability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable electrode assembly can dynamically adjust its extension distance from the housing based on tissue contact conditions. The electrode support mechanism allows the electrode to extend further when needed for optimal contact while retracting when tissue interference risks increase, providing a dynamic balance between contact quality and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameter of the electrode relative to the housing, allowing it to move axially between retracted and extended positions. This parameter change enables the electrode to optimize its distance from the tissue surface, improving electrical contact when extended while minimizing tissue interference when retracted.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces impedance, lowers capture threshold, and increases battery longevity by achieving good and reliable electrical contact with cardiac tissue, thereby enhancing sensing capabilities and therapy delivery.
Implementation Method 1
The distal electrode support may include a spring that biases the distal electrode toward the extended position.
Implementation Method 2
The spring may include a coil spring, a leaf spring or a wave spring.
Data Source
AI summary
An IMD may include a housing with a controller and a power supply disposed within the housing. A distal electrode may be supported by a distal electrode support that biases the distal electrode toward an extended position in which the distal electrode extends distally from the distal end of the housing and allows the distal electrode to move proximally relative to the extended position in response to an axial force applied to the distal electrode in the proximal direction. In some cases, the distal electrode support may include a tissue ingrowth inhibiting outer sleeve that extends along the length of the distal electrode support and is configured to shorten when the distal electrode moves proximally relative to the extended position and to lengthen when the distal electrode moves back distally toward the extended position in order to accommodate movement of the distal electrode.