Lumen mounted electrodes for pacing and intra-cardiac ECG sensing

Claim 1

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along a major length of said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along a major length of said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means.

Claim 11

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and said electrode including a tubular conductive member having a passage extending generally axially therethrough, said mounting means including a mounting member extending completely through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member, at least a portion of said end portions lying in said lumen on opposite sides of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member within the lumen, an insulating adhesive to at least assist in bonding the conductive member and the mounting member together and in retaining them within the lumen.

Claim 12

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; and said electrode including a tubular conductive member having a passage extending generally axially therethrough, said mounting means including a mounting member extending completely through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member, at least a portion of said end portions lying in said lumen on opposite sides of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member within the lumen, an insulating adhesive to at least assist in bonding the conductive member and the mounting member together and in retaining them within the lumen.

Claim 16

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; a tubular electrode; a mounting member at least partially within the lumen and the tubular electrode mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening; an insulating adhesive holding the mounting member and the electrode together, said insulating adhesive partially circumscribing the electrode and leaving a region of the electrode exposed at said opening; and at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode at a location out of said region and extending from said electrode within said tube and at least partly through the adhesive.

Claim 17

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; a tubular electrode; a mounting member at least partially within the lumen and the tubular electrode mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening; an insulating adhesive holding the mounting member and the electrode together, said insulating adhesive partially circumscribing the electrode and leaving a region of the electrode exposed at said opening; and at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode at a location out of said region and extending from said electrode within said tube and at least partly through the adhesive.

Claim 19

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means; and said passage extending through said electrode and said mounting means extending through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member.

Claim 20

An apparatus for making electrical contact within the heart of a patient comprising: an elongated tube sized to pass through a vein or an artery and into the heart, said tube having proximal and distal ends, a peripheral wall, at least one lumen extending longitudinally within the tube and an opening in the peripheral wall which extends from the lumen to the exterior of the tube; an electrode including a conductive member with a generally axial passage; means at least partially within the lumen for mounting the electrode within said lumen with the electrode being exposed at said opening, said mounting means including a mounting member in said lumen, at least a portion of said mounting member being in said passage, extending into said lumen and being displaced axially of the opening to at least assist in mechanically locking the conductive member in the lumen; at least one conductive lead coupled to said electrode and extending from said electrode within said tube; said peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface which extends along said tube with the outline of said peripheral surface over said opening forming a body line and said electrode extends radially outwardly no farther than said body line whereby said apparatus is no larger radially at the electrode than at regions lying axially of the electrode and the mounting means; and said passage extending through said electrode and said mounting means extending through said passage and having end portions outside said passage on opposite sides of the conductive member.