US 12,303,685 B2
Electrode configuration for a medical device
Thomas A. Anderson, New Hope, MN (US); and Zhongping Yang, Woodbury, MN (US)
Assigned to Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed by Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/062,438.
Application 18/062,438 is a continuation of application No. 16/895,133, filed on Jun. 8, 2020, granted, now 11,541,232.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/862,940, filed on Jun. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0123093 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61N 1/375 (2006.01); A61N 1/05 (2006.01); A61N 1/362 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/059 (2013.01) [A61N 1/3622 (2013.01); A61N 1/37512 (2017.08); A61N 1/37518 (2017.08); A61N 1/3756 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device comprising:
an elongated housing extending from a proximal end of the housing to a distal end of the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the housing configured to be implanted wholly within a first chamber of the heart;
a first electrode extending distally from the distal end of the elongated housing and comprising a helix, wherein, as the helix is rotated about the longitudinal axis, a distal end of the first electrode is configured to penetrate wall tissue of the first chamber and into wall tissue of a second chamber of the heart as a distance between the distal end of the elongated housing and the wall tissue of the first chamber decreases;
a second electrode extending from the distal end of the elongated housing, wherein the second electrode is separate from the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is configured to maintain contact with the wall tissue of the first chamber without penetration of the wall tissue of the first chamber by the second electrode as a distance between the distal end of the elongated housing and the wall tissue of the first chamber decreases, and wherein the second electrode is configured as a partial helix; and
signal generation circuitry within the elongated housing, the signal generation circuitry coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the signal generation circuitry is configured to deliver cardiac pacing to the second chamber via the first electrode and the first chamber via the second electrode.