Endocardial catheter for defibrillation, cardioversion and pacing, and a system and method utilizing the same

Claim 1

An endocardial catheter for introduction into a lumen of a vessel leading to a chamber formed by a wall of a heart of a patient and having a blood pool therein, the catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a longitudinal axis, an electrode assembly having a plurality of radially spaced apart electrodes suitable for defibrillation and cardioversion, a support movable between contracted and expanded positions secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said support being comprised of elongate elements which are substantially rectangular in cross section and each including a layer of insulating material having an outer surface which is only adapted to face toward the wall of the chamber, means for securing said electrodes solely to said outer surfaces of said layers of insulating material adapted only to face toward the wall of the chamber, means secured to said support for moving said support to said expanded position to thereby move the electrodes into engagement with the wall forming the chamber of the heart whereby the electrodes will contact only the wall of the heart and will be out of substantial contact with the blood pool in the chamber, an additional electrode mounted on the flexible elongate tubular member in relatively close proximity to said electrode assembly and leads connected to the electrode assembly and to the additional electrode and extending to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member.

Claim 9

A system for defibrillation and cardioversion in a heart of a patient having a chamber formed by a wall and having a blood pool therein, the system comprising an endocardial catheter for introduction into the chamber and consisting of a flexible elongate tubular member having a proximal extremity and a distal extremity and having a longitudinal axis, an electrode assembly having radially spaced apart electrodes suitable for defibrillation and cardioversion, a support movable between contracted and expanded positions secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said support being comprised of elongate elements which are substantially rectangular in cross section and each including a layer of insulating material having an outer surface which is only adapted to face the wall forming the chamber, means for securing said electrodes solely to said outer surfaces of said layers of insulating material, means secured to said support for moving said support to said expanded position and to move the electrodes into engagement with the wall forming the chamber of the heart in which the support is disposed whereby the electrodes will contact only the wall of the heart and will be out of substantial contact with the blood pool in the chamber, an additional electrode carried by the flexible elongate tubular member in relatively close proximity to the electrode assembly, leads connected to the electrodes and to the additional electrode and extending to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member and an AICD device connected to said leads for supplying electrical energy to said leads.

Claim 10

A system for defibrillation and cardioversion in a heart of a patient having a chamber formed by a wall and having a blood pool therein, the system comprising an endocardial catheter for introduction into the chamber and consisting of a flexible elongate tubular member having a proximal extremity and a distal extremity and having a longitudinal axis, an electrode assembly having radially spaced apart electrodes suitable for defibrillation and cardioversion, a support movable between contracted and expanded positions secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said support being comprised of elongate elements which are substantially rectangular in cross section and each including a layer of insulating material having an outer surface which is only adapted to face the wall forming the chamber, means for securing said electrodes solely to said outer surfaces of said layers of insulating material, means secured to said support for moving said support to said expanded position and to move the electrodes into engagement with the wall forming the chamber of the heart in which the support is disposed whereby the electrodes will contact only the wall of the heart and will be out of substantial contact with the blood pool in the chamber, an additional electrode carried by the flexible elongate tubular member in relatively close proximity to the electrode assembly, leads connected to the electrodes and to the additional electrode and extending to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member and an AICD device connected to said leads for supplying electrical energy to said leads.