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Flexible hermetic enclosure for implantable medical devices

Flexible hermetic enclosure for implantable medical devices description/claims

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/088,495, filed Mar. 24, 2005.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for implanting medical devices into a patient's vasculature, such as to sense electrical activity and/or electrically stimulate the heart.

There are a number of medical devices that can have portions implanted into a patient's vasculature. For example, devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, and implanted cardioverter defibrillators (“ICDs”) have been successfully implanted for years for treatment of heart rhythm conditions. Pacemakers are implanted to detect periods of bradycardia and deliver electrical stimuli to increase the heartbeat to an appropriate rate, while ICDs are implanted in patients to cardiovert or defibrillate the heart by delivering electrical current directly to the heart. Another implantable defibrillation device can detect an atrial fibrillation (AF) episode and deliver an electrical shock to the atria to restore electrical coordination.

Next generation defibrillators, ICDs, pacemakers, etc., may take the form of elongated intravascular devices, such as those described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/454,223, entitled “IMPLANTABLE INTRAVASCULAR DEVICE FOR DEFIBRILLATION AND/OR PACING,” filed Jun. 4, 2003; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/453,971, entitled “DEVICE & METHOD FOR RETAINING A MEDICAL DEVICE WITHIN A VESSEL”, filed Jun. 4, 2003; as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/862,113, entitled “INTRAVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND METHODS,” filed Jun. 4, 2004, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. These devices often contain electric circuitry and/or electronic components that must be hermetically sealed to prevent damage to the electronic components and the release of contaminants into the bloodstream. This can require the use of expensive shielding and insulating components, which have to be designed in a way to prevent problems with clotting and obstruction of blood flow. Further, due to the length of these implantable devices, which in some cases can be approximately 10-60 cm in length, the devices must be flexible enough to move through the vasculature while being sufficiently rigid to protect the internal components. It is desirable to simplify these devices to allow for the use of standard components that can lower the cost and complexity of these devices while still providing the necessary flexibility and support.

FIGS. 1 (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams illustrating methods of device implantation of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an intravascular electrophysiological device of the prior art.

FIG. 3 is (a) a plan view and (b) a cross-section showing an intravascular electrophysiological device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is (a) a perspective view illustrating the bending capability of the device of FIG. 4, as well as (b) a plan view and (c), (d) cross-sectional views of the device of FIG. 4 inserted into the vascular system of a patient.

FIG. 5 includes (a)-(b) views showing a multi-chamber pacemaker and (c)-(e) views showing an implantable defibrillator including components in the interconnected, hermetically sealed casing in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 6(a)-6(f) are diagrams showing a procedure for implanting a device of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7(a)-7(b) show cross-sections of interconnection methods than can be used in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

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