Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) system having multiple common polarity extravascular defibrillation electrodes

US9636512B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Medtronic, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Can Cinbis · Shoreview, US
• Vladimir P. Nikolski · Blaine, US
• Jian Cao · Shoreview, US
• James K. Carney · Brooklyn Park, US
• Melissa G. T. Christie · Ham Lake, US
• Richard J. O'Brien · Minneapolis, US
• Amy E. Thompson-Nauman · Ham Lake, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 4, 2015
• Grant date: May 2, 2017
• Expiry date: Nov 4, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N1/3987
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

This disclosure provides an extravascular ICD system and method for defibrillating a heart of a patient. The extravascular ICD system includes multiple extravascular electrical stimulation leads or lead segments located in close proximity to one another and having respective defibrillation electrodes. The ICD system utilizes the multiple defibrillation electrodes to form an extravascular electrode vector that may result a reduction in the shock impedance and/or a reduction in the DFT compared to extravascular ICD systems that include only a single extravascular defibrillation electrode. An ICD of the system may, for example, deliver a defibrillation shock using an electrode vector in which a first polarity of the electrode vector is formed by electrically coupling first and second defibrillation electrodes of first and second leads, respectively, to the therapy circuitry and a second polarity of the electrode vector is formed by electrically coupling a housing of the ICD to the therapy circuitry.