Medtronic, Inc.

Synovis Life Technologies, Inc.

Heraeus Materials S.a.

Thomas M Soukup

Roger W Dahl

Stephen Kenneth Sundquist

Gregory A Boser

John Louis Sommer

Elisabeth Lacy Belden

Arnold W Thornton

Duane J Zytkovicz

William Frank Kuester, Iii

John D Wright

Mark Pederson

Patrick Haley

William Kuester

Gregory L Townsend

Joe Perttu

The invention includes an assembly having a handle for articulating an articulator in an ergonomically improved manner. The handle can be adapted to articulate a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed. The handle can have at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure. The invention also includes methods of making and using such a handle.

Handle and articulator system and method

A system including an implantable defibrillation electrode includes a first layer of porous Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) adjacent to at least one surface of the defibrillation electrode, the first layer of porous PTFE having a fibril length adapted to bleed gas away from the at least one surface of the defibrillation electrode, and a second layer of porous PTFE formed over the first layer, the second layer of porous PTFE having a fibril length adapted to prevent substantially all tissue in-growth.

System for promoting selective tissue in-growth for an implantable medical device

A medical electrical lead is disclosed that is adapted for placement in the coronary sinus, or a branch vein thereof. The lead includes a first and second pace/sense electrode. A selection mechanism is provided to select either the first or the second electrode for use as a cathode, with the other electrode being selected as the anode. According to another aspect of the invention, a high-voltage coil electrode may be provided between the first and second electrodes. The coil electrode may be electrically coupled to the anode to increase the shadow area of the coil electrode.

System for providing electrical stimulation to a left chamber of a heart

A steerable stylet for use within a lumen of an intravascular device includes a stylet assembly and a handle. The stylet assembly has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion and includes a stylet wire having a lumen and a core wire positioned within the lumen with the distal end portion secured to the stylet wire proximate the distal end portion of the stylet wire. The handle includes a hand-held housing structure connected to one of the proximal end portion of the stylet wire or the core wire. In one embodiment, an adjustable tensioner is connected to the other of the proximal end portion of the stylet wire or the core wire to adjust a relative tension force applied between the stylet wire and the core wire. A tension limiter is arranged to limit the tension force to a limit force that is less than a breaking stress force of the stylet wire when the stylet wire is positioned within the lumen of the intravascular device.

Steerable stylet

An adjustable stylet includes a core wire having a portion surrounded by a compression member preferably comprised of a flat wire spring. Depending upon the configuration, compression or relaxation of the compression member in response to forces at the tip or handle of the stylet results in adjustments to the characteristics of the stylet. In a first embodiment, the stiffness of the stylet is adjustable. In a second embodiment, the length of the stylet is adjustable. In a third embodiment, both the stiffness and the length of the stylet are adjustable.

Adjustable stylet

Disclosed is an improved system and method to selectively promote tissue in-growth on, or adjacent to, an implantable medical device. In one embodiment, at least one surface of the housing of a medical device is in contact with a first portion of a porous PTFE having a pore size adapted to prevent substantially all tissue in-growth. This first portion, or layer, of porous PTFE material is further in contact at predetermined locations with an additional porous PTFE layer having a pore size adapted to selectively promote tissue in-growth only at the predetermined locations. Each of the PTFE layers may be formed of porous PTFE tubing or tape. Alternatively, the two layers may comprise a single composite structure that has a more porous material exposed on a first surface, and a less porous, more dense, material on a second surface. Another embodiment of the invention involves forming the layers of PTFE into a removable member that is adjacent to at least one surface of the implantable medical device. The removable member may take the form of a sleeve that surrounds a portion of a the medical device and is adapted to remain in the body during an extraction process. For example, during the removal of a lead, the sleeve remains within the body and is capable of receiving a replacement lead, making it unnecessary to disturb tissue in-growth attached to the sleeve.

System and method for promoting selective tissue in-growth for an implantable medical device

An implantable device including an elastically compressible member coupled to a distal end of a lead and further coupled to at least one electrode. The compressible member is in a contracted state when the electrode is being delivered to an implant site. At the implant site, the compressible member is expanded to urge the electrode into contact with tissue. Compressible member further includes a keyed structure to engage a stiffening member such as a stylet. The stiffening member is used both to deliver the electrode to the implant site, and to rotate the compressible member, if necessary, so that the electrode contacts predetermined body tissue. According to one aspect of the invention, an introducer having an inner lumen with a diameter that is smaller than that of the compressible member may be used to disengage the stiffening member from the compressible member. In one embodiment, compressible member includes a conductor wound to form multiple turns that are aligned during electrode delivery, but which expand into a non-aligned configuration after deployment. In another embodiment, compressible member includes a spring clip that has a compressed profile during delivery, and an expanded profile after deployment.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Thomas M Soukup