MINIMALLY INVASIVE MEDICAL ELECTRICAL LEAD

摘要

A medical electrical lead (51) which may be introduced using a thorascope and is used to electrically stimulate tissue, such as heart. The lead of the present invention has a "ski-shaped" needle (53), a strand (55) of between 1-5 cm attached to the needle, an electrode (59) attached to the strand, and an insulated lead body (61) attached to the electrode. In addition, a test wire (69) is also attached to the needle (53) to permit the electrical characteristics of tissue to be ascertained before the lead is fully inserted. In an alternative embodiment the strand may feature a fixation helix. Due to the shape of the needle and the relatively short strand, the lead is particularly suitable for implantation to a heart using minimally invasive techniques, such as through a trocar.