Electrodes for cardiac pacemakers

Claim 2

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means extending radially outwardly from said catheter and perpendicular to the axis of the catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said mounting means carrying an atrial electrode at a position thereon spaced from said catheter and said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode.

Claim 3

A dual electrode according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means is a sheath of plastics material.

Claim 4

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means in the form of a sheath of plastics material extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said sheath being hollow and having the shape of a surface of revolution having a base at its end nearest said catheter which is greater than its end remote from said catheter and said sheath carrying an atrial electrode at the end of said sheath remote from said catheter, said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode.

Claim 5

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means in the form of a sheath of plastics material extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said sheath being hollow and having the shape of a surface of revolution having a base at its end nearest said catheter which is greater than its end remote from said catheter and said sheath carrying an atrial electrode at the end of said sheath remote from said catheter, said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode.

Claim 6

A dual electrode according to claims 2 or 3 further comprising means within said sheath engaging said catheter at one end and engaging said sheath at its opposite end for opposing movement of said sheath and thereby increasing the resiliency thereof.

Claim 7

A dual electrode according to claims 2 or 3 wherein there are at least two said atrial electrodes mounted on said catheter, said two atrial electrodes being spaced from each other circumferentially of said axis.

Claim 8

A dual electrode according to claims 2 or 3 wherein there are three said atrial electrodes mounted on said catheter, said three atrial electrodes being equally spaced circumferentially of said axis.

Claim 9

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said mounting means carrying an atrial electrode at a position thereon spaced from said catheter, said atrial electrode extending circumferentially of said axis and surrounding said catheter, and said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode.

Claim 10

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said mounting means carrying an atrial electrode at a position thereon spaced from said catheter, said atrial electrode extending circumferentially of said axis and surrounding said catheter, and said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode.

Claim 11

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said mounting means carrying said atrial electrode at a position thereon spaced from said catheter and said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode, the portion of said conductive means connected to said atrial electrode comprising a conductive ring surrounding and in contact with said catheter and conductive means interconnecting said ring and said atrial electrode.

Claim 12

A dual electrode for use in cardiac pacemaking and which simultaneously provides both ventricular and atrial electrical contact, said electrode comprising: a relatively long and narrow catheter for insertion into the heart through a blood vessel leading to the heart, said catheter having a longitudinal axis; a ventricular electrode for ventricular electrical contact disposed on the distal end of said catheter in an axially fixed position relative to the axis of said catheter; flexible and resilient mounting means extending radially outwardly from said catheter and being secured to said catheter at its end nearest said catheter in a fixed axial position relative to the axis of said catheter, said mounting means carrying said atrial electrode at a position thereon spaced from said catheter and said mounting means normally maintaining said atrial electrode in a predetermined position radially outwardly of said catheter but permitting said atrial electrode to move from said position thereof toward said catheter with the application of forces thereto by said blood vessel as the catheter is moved through said blood vessel; and conductive means electrically connected to and extending from said ventricular electrode and said atrial electrode respectively to adjacent the proximal end of said catheter for making electrical connections to said ventricular electrode and to said atrial electrode, the portion of said conductive means connected to said atrial electrode comprising a conductive ring surrounding and in contact with said catheter and conductive means interconnecting said ring and said atrial electrode.

Claim 13

A dual electrode according to claim 8 wherein said conductive means interconnecting said ring and said atrial electrode is a metal spring.