US5170803A — Esophageal displacement electrode

Claim 1

Independent Claim 127 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus to the region of the ventricles of the heart and the proximal end disposed externally of the body; an electrode carried by the tube at its distal end; a bendable section provided in the tube a short distance proximally of the distal end having means enabling the tube distally of the section to deflect laterally and displace the adjacent portion of the esophagus toward the ventricles and place the electrode close to the ventricle; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to deflect and displace the esophagus.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 127 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus to the region of the ventricles of the heart and the proximal end disposed externally of the body; an electrode carried by the tube at its distal end; a bendable section provided in the tube a short distance proximally of the distal end having means enabling the tube distally of the section to deflect laterally and displace the adjacent portion of the esophagus toward the ventricles and place the electrode close to the ventricle; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to deflect and displace the esophagus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 1 wherein the displacement means includes means for resisting bending of the tube at the bendable section until the displacement means causes the distal end of the tube to deflect.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 93 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 1 wherein the displacement means includes a member disposed in the tube in the vicinity of the bendable section, and means for moving said member, enabling movement of said member to a position distal to the bendable section, said means for moving including means attached to the member and operable from a location externally of the body for causing it to push against and deflect the portion of the tube distal to the bendable section so as to place the electrode closer to the heart.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 66 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 3 wherein the means attached to the member includes a cord connected to the member, a distal and a proximal port in the tube disposed on opposite sides of the bendable section, said cord exiting the tube through the distal port and reentering the tube through the proximal port and extending through the tube to the control mechanism.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 4 wherein means prevent the member from being drawn out the tube through the distal port.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 63 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 5 further including a control mechanism for controlling said displacement means, said control mechanism includes a sleeve and slide disposed in the sleeve and attached to the cord for pulling the cord so as to move the member to the extreme distal position and displace the portion of the tube distally of the bendable section.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 6 wherein a second cord is attached to the member and extends from the member proximally out of the tube to the control mechanism.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 7 wherein the control mechanism includes means attached to the cords for taking up one of the cords while playing out the other.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 31 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 8 wherein the control mechanism includes a sleeve and a slide movable in the sleeve for taking up and playing out the cords.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 121 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus to the region of the ventricles of the heart and the proximal end disposed externally of the body; an electrode carried by the tube at its distal end; means in the tube enabling the distal end thereof to displace laterally with respect to the tube axial so as to engage and press against the esophagus to displace the esophagus wall toward the heart; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to displace the esophagus and place the electrode nearer the heart.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 121 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus to the region of the ventricles of the heart and the proximal end disposed externally of the body; an electrode carried by the tube at its distal end; means in the tube enabling the distal end thereof to displace laterally with respect to the tube axial so as to engage and press against the esophagus to displace the esophagus wall toward the heart; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to displace the esophagus and place the electrode nearer the heart.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 57 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 10 wherein the displacement means includes a member, a cord connected to the member and extending out the proximal end of the tube and means attached to said cord for moving said cord, thereby enabling movement of said member in the tube to a point below the first-named means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 11 wherein the member is a rigid pin extending longitudinally of the tube, and said cord spans the first-named means externally of the tube.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 64 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 12 wherein a pair of ports are provided in the tube, one on each side of the first-named means, and said cord exits from the tube in the port distally of the first-named means and reenters the tube through the other port and extends proximally therefrom in the tube to the proximal end of the tube.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 40 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as described in claim 10 wherein the first-named means is a crimp in the tube causing it to bend at the crimp when the distal end of the tube is pulled proximally by the displacement member.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 92 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus; an electrode carried by the tube in the region of its distal end; said tube having hinge means enabling the distal end of the tube to displace laterally in the esophagus and laterally displace the esophagus; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to displace laterally, and engage and displace the esophagus.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 92 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible hollow tube having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus; an electrode carried by the tube in the region of its distal end; said tube having hinge means enabling the distal end of the tube to displace laterally in the esophagus and laterally displace the esophagus; and displacement means disposed in the tube and controlled from a point externally of the body for causing the distal end of the tube to displace laterally, and engage and displace the esophagus.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 75 words

A method of noninvasively placing an electrode in the body closely adjacent a selected body organ comprising the steps of: inserting into the esophagus an elongated member carrying an electrode at its distal region; and displacing the distal region of the elongated member laterally, through the bending of said elongated member, in the esophagus to place the distal region against only one side of the esophageal wall and displace the esophagus toward the selected organ.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 75 words

A method of noninvasively placing an electrode in the body closely adjacent a selected body organ comprising the steps of: inserting into the esophagus an elongated member carrying an electrode at its distal region; and displacing the distal region of the elongated member laterally, through the bending of said elongated member, in the esophagus to place the distal region against only one side of the esophageal wall and displace the esophagus toward the selected organ.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method as described in claim 16 including the additional step of controlling the displacing of the distal region from a location externally of the body.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 54 words

A method as described in claim 17 wherein the elongated member further includes a longitudinally extending cord operatively connected to the distal region, and further, the step of controlling the displacing the distal region of the elongated member includes the step of controlling longitudinal movement, from a position outside the body, of the cord.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 91 words

A method as described in claim 18 wherein the elongated member further includes a mass member attached to the distal end of said cord and an aperture defined in the elongated member, with walls on either side thereof, through which the cord is fed and through which the mass member cannot pass, and further, the step of controlling the displacing the distal region of the elongated member further includes the step of causing the mass member to abut against the walls on either side of the aperture in said elongated member.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 87 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus; an electrode disposed within the tube at its distal end; said tube having hinge means enabling the distal end of the tube to displace laterally; force means, for causing the distal end of the tube to laterally displace the esophagus and place the electrode in a desired location close to a heart ventricle; and means, external to the body, for controlling said force means.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 87 words

An esophageal displacement electrode comprising: a flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends for insertion of the distal end into the esophagus; an electrode disposed within the tube at its distal end; said tube having hinge means enabling the distal end of the tube to displace laterally; force means, for causing the distal end of the tube to laterally displace the esophagus and place the electrode in a desired location close to a heart ventricle; and means, external to the body, for controlling said force means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 47 words

An esophageal displacement electrode as claimed in claim 20 further including a member within said tube, and wherein said displacement means includes a cord attached to said member, a portion of which is external to said tube, said cord for moving said member and displacing said tube.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-12-15	1996-06-15	1996-12-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-12-15	2000-06-15	2000-12-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-12-15	2004-06-15	2004-12-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Esophageal displacement electrode

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