Endocardial electrode

Claim 1

77,566/75 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS i. An endocardial lead assembly for implantation in a heart including an electrical conductor encased in a material generally inert to living body tissues and fluids and termin- ating at an exposed electrically conductive electrode, and a plurality of tines extending from said casing material adjacent the electrode and each tine forming an acute angle with said casing material, each tine being formed of pliant electrically non-conductive material generally inert to living body tissues and fluids and being such as to engage heart tissue without penetration of the heart tissue to fix the electrode in position. 2. A lead assembly as claimed in claim 1 including means external to said casing material for releasably restraining said tines in a position extending alongside said encasing material. 3. A lead assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said restraining means comprises a shroud for accepting at least the free end of each tine. 4. A lead assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said restraining means further comprise means cooperating with said shroud for effecting the release of said tines from a point spaced from said shroud. one. A lead assembly as claimed in any/of claims 2 to 4 including inflatable means underlying said tines when said tines are in said restrained position; and means spaced from said inflatable means for inflating said inflatable means. 49Q0.7 02 77,5 6617 7. G. A lead assembly as claimed in anylpreceding claims including a lumen substantially parallel to and coextensive with said electrical conductor. A lead assembly as claimed in anylpreceding wherein said electrical conductor is coiled and has a void central portion, providing said lumen. g. A lead assembly as claimed in any/preceding claims wherein said electrical conductor is poisitioned substantially at the centre of the cross section of said assembly and said lumen lies off the centre of said cross section. kj. A lead assembly as claimed in any/preceding claims wherein a tine is treated to be radiopaque. M1O A lead assembly as claimed in claim( wherein the treating material is a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, barium sulfate or Tantalum. one op~ 14'~e A lead assembly as claimed in any/preceding claims wherein the tines form no part of said electrical conductor. 4.12. Endocardial lead assemblies substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 9th day of August, 1977. MEDTRONIC, INC. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B.RICE CO. s 4 90,7 02 77.566 ffs "'io 18 17 12Z TT 2 4970 102 4 ri9 12 19 49 0.702 1 77.566 In 0 7- at 490.7 02