Systems and methods for separating an object such as a pacing lead from a patient tissue involve a flexible and torqueable shaft having an internal lumen sized to receive the object, and a hard separating mechanism for separating the object from the tissue. Typically the shaft and separating mechanism are advanced along or toward the object, and the separating mechanism is contacted with the tissue. The shaft is rotated to effect separation between the object and the tissue. The systems and methods are well suited for use in cardiac pacing or defibrillator lead explant procedures.

Devices and methods can be used for artificial cardiac pacing and/or resynchronization. For example, this document provides improved electrodes for stimulating and sensing electrical activity of the heart, and provides pacing and resynchronization systems incorporating such electrodes. While the devices and methods provided herein are described primarily in the context of pacing, it should be understood that resynchronization can additionally or alternatively be performed in an analogous manner, and that the scope of this disclosure includes such subject matter.

A delivery tool of a system for deploying medical diagnostics and/or therapy includes a deployment member and a sheath. An elastic cantilever element secured to a tubular sidewall of the deployment member, in proximity to a distal opening of a lumen formed by the sidewall, is spring biased to extend outward from the sidewall. When the cantilever element is received within the sheath, a sheath sidewall pushes the cantilever element inward, against the spring bias thereof, and a radius of curvature of the cantilever element approximately conforms to that of an outer surface of the deployment member sidewall. A helical track for receiving passage of a medical device helix fixation element therein may extend around a perimeter of the deployment member lumen, wherein a distal terminal end of the track is located in close proximity to the distal opening and generally opposite a free end of the cantilever element.

An electrode lead for the coronary sinus, with a lead body that has a distal section for insertion into the coronary sinus, and at least one electrode to make contact with body tissue, the at least one electrode being arranged on the distal section of the lead body. The electrode lead has a fixation device that can be extended out of the lead body to fix the electrode lead in a blood vessel.

The invention is an implantable electrode configuration having a carrier substrate of a biocompatible polymer in at least some areas and a freely accessible electrode surface applied to the carrier substrate or integrated into the carrier substrate on the carrier substrate surface in at least some areas is described and a method for producing the implantable electrode configuration. The electrode has a metallic base plate having a planar top side and bottom side, including at least one structural element protruding orthogonally from the top side. The planar surface of the metallic base plate is oriented parallel to the carrier substrate surface and the metallic base plate is enclosed by the biocompatible polymer, except for a first surface area of the at least one structural element which faces the carrier substrate surface and is the freely accessible electrode surface.

A biostimulator, such as a leadless cardiac pacemaker, including a fixation element to engage tissue and one or more backstop elements to resist back-out from the tissue, is described. The fixation element can be mounted on a housing of the biostimulator such that a helix of the fixation element extends distally to a leading point. The leading point can be located on a distal face of the helix at a position that is proximal from a center of the distal face. The backstop elements can include non-metallic filaments, such as sutures, or can include a pinch point of the biostimulator. The backstop features can grip the tissue to prevent unscrewing of the fixation element. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A system to generate and sense electrical energy to and from tissue within a mammalian body. The system includes a flexible shaft and an electrical generator disposed on or embedded within the flexible shaft. Radially displaceable arcuate arm members forming electrodes are displaceable responsive to actuation of the electrical generator.

The invention relates to a device for circulatory support of the heart and to a corresponding method with a holding means which is configured such that it can be implanted intracardially in the left and/or right ventricular outflow tract of the heart by means of a catheter, preferably using an endovascular method, through a femoral access and/or a percutaneous transventricular, transseptal, transapical or transvenous access, wherein the holding means comprises an anchoring means which can be fixed in the subcommissural triangle underneath the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively in the flow direction of the blood on the ventricular side of the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively, a pump which is configured such that it can be fixed in the holding means by means of a catheter, preferably using an endovascular method, through a femoral access and/or a percutaneous transventricular, transseptal, transapical or transvenous access, wherein the pump (a) can either be inserted releasably into the holding means after the holding means has been fixed by means of the anchoring means in the subcommissural triangles underneath the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively or (b) is firmly connected to the collapsible and expandable anchoring means.

An intracardiac pacemaker device, comprising a housing that is configured to be implanted entirely within a ventricle (V) of a heart (H), an electronic module for generating pacing pulses, a battery for supplying energy to the electronic module, an elongated lead extension protruding from the housing, at least a first electrode arranged on the elongated lead extension, and a pacing electrode and a return electrode for applying the pacing pulses to cardiac tissue, wherein the pacing electrode is arranged on the housing. The electronic module is electrically coupled to the pacing electrode via the housing, and wherein the electronic module is configured to carry out measurements of electrical activity via the at least one first electrode of the elongated lead extension.

A leadless pacemaker device for providing an intra-cardiac pacing includes processing circuitry configured to generate ventricular pacing signals for stimulating ventricular activity at a ventricular pacing rate, a first sensor configuration receiving a first sense signal, and a second sensor configuration receiving a second sense signal. The processing circuitry derives, in a first sensing state, atrial events from the first sense signal for controlling the ventricular pacing rate based on the atrial events. The processing circuitry switches, based on at least one switching criterion, from the first sensing state to a second sensing state in which the processing circuitry derives atrial events from the second sense signal. The second sense signal is received by the second sensor configuration for detection of atrial events and the second sensor configuration is a motion sensor or a sound sensor. A method for operating the pacemaker device is also provided.