(19)
(11)EP 3 501 559 A1

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43)Date of publication:
26.06.2019 Bulletin 2019/26

(21)Application number: 17210083.6

(22)Date of filing:  22.12.2017
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A61L 31/14(2006.01)
A61L 31/18(2006.01)
A61B 46/13(2016.01)
A61L 31/16(2006.01)
A61N 1/05(2006.01)
A61N 1/375(2006.01)
(84)Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME
Designated Validation States:
MA MD TN

(71)Applicant: BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
12359 Berlin (DE)

(72)Inventors:
  • Dörr, Thomas
    12437 Berlin (DE)
  • Muessig, Dirk
    West Linn, OR Oregon 97068 (US)

(74)Representative: Keck, Hans-Georg 
Biotronik Corporate Services SE Corporate Intellectual Property Sieversufer 7 - 9
12359 Berlin
12359 Berlin (DE)

  


(54)SYSTEM WITH AN INTRACARDIAC IMPLANT AND A COVER FOR THE IMPLANT


(57) A system with an intracardiac implant (110) and a cover (150) is provided. The cover (150) at least partially surrounds the implant (110).




Description


[0001] The disclosure relates to a system with an intracardiac implant and a cover for the implant.

Background



[0002] Implantable devices are used in order to address several aspects of health. The implantable devices include active implants, like pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, and drug delivery devices.

[0003] In particular for an intracardiac pacemaker, explantation is a complex task. The intracardiac pacemaker is overgrown with tissue some weeks after its implantation which makes a removal of the intracardiac pacemaker very difficult.

[0004] Document EP 0 773 753 B1 discloses an implantable apparatus including a drug delivery device which is surrounded by a porous polymeric material.

[0005] Document US 5,090,422 A discloses an electrically active implant, like an implantable cardioverter-/defibrillator, which is covered by a porous barrier.

Summary



[0006] It is an object to provide improved technologies for intracardiac implants. In particular, explantation of an intracardiac implant shall be simplified.

[0007] A system of claim 1 is provided. Further embodiments are subject matter of dependent claims.

[0008] In one aspect, a system comprising an intracardiac implant and a cover is provided. The cover at least partially surrounds the implant.

[0009] In another aspect, a method for implanting an intracardiac implant is disclosed. The method comprises steps of: providing an intracardiac implant, providing a cover, arranging the implant in the cover such that the cover at least partially surrounds the implant, and arranging the implant with the cover inside a heart of a patient, e.g. in the atrium or in the ventricle of the heart.

[0010] In yet another aspect, a method for explanting an intracardiac implant at least partially surrounded by a cover is provided. The method comprises steps of: opening the cover, and removing the intracardiac implant from the cover.

[0011] In the application, the term "implant" refers to an "intracardiac implant", an implantable device which is arranged inside the heart of a patient, e.g. in the atrium or in the ventricle. The implant may be an intracardiac pacemaker (also called leadless pacemaker).

[0012] The cover may be made of a biocompatible and/or biostable material.

[0013] In an implanted state, when the implant with the cover is arranged inside the heart, a proximal end of the cover (and a proximal end of the implant) is adjacent to the inner surface of the heart. A distal end of the cover (and a distal end of the implant) is facing away from the inner surface of the heart. The cover may have an opening at the proximal end of the cover. A fixation element may be disposed at the proximal end of the implant. The fixation element may reach through the opening of the cover and be in contact with tissue of the heart in order to fix the implant with the cover in the myocardium.

[0014] The implant may be arranged in the cover such that the cover surrounds the implant on all sides except its proximal end (the side facing the inner surface of the heart). After the implant with the cover is implanted in the heart, tissue will grow over the cover. After some time, the cover will be partly or completely overgrown with tissue.

[0015] For explantation, the cover may be opened, e.g. at its distal end, in order to retrieve the implant from the cover. The cover itself may remain in the patient after the implant is explanted. The cover may be opened by cutting the cover. The cover may be cut by a nose which is guided by a catheter. A marker element, e.g. an X-ray marker, may be disposed at the distal end of the cover in order to provide guiding for cutting the cover.

[0016] An inner surface of the cover, which is facing the implant, may comprise an inner layer comprising a bioresorbable material. The inner layer may be made of a bioresorbable material. The bioresorbable material may be a bioresorbable polymer, e.g. RESOMER® provided by Evonik. After the implant is removed from the cover, the bioresorbable material is resorbed. This leads to a reduced volume of the cover remaining in the heart.

[0017] An outer surface of the cover, which is facing away from the implant, may comprise an outer layer comprising a non-bioresorbable material. The outer layer may be made of a non-bioresorbable material. The non-bioresorbable material may be a poly(p-xylylene) polymer, e.g. a Parylene (like Parylene C, Parylene N, or Parylene AF-4). The outer layer may be thin. The non-bioresorbable material may have a thickness in the range from 0.1 µm (e.g. Parylene) to 1 mm (e.g. Silicone).

[0018] The cover may be made of a flexible material, e.g. silicone or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). After the implant is removed from the cover, the cover may collapse such that the collapsed cover requires less volume.

[0019] The cover may be made of a non-porous material. Hereby, a contact of the implant with body fluid (e.g. blood) can be avoided. In an alternative embodiment, the cover may be made of a porous material.

[0020] The cover may comprise one or more predetermined breaking points. The predetermined breaking point(s) may allow an easy opening of the cover for explanting the implant. The predetermined breaking point(s) may be disposed at the distal end of the cover. The predetermined breaking point(s) may be provided in form of a pressure lock, a seal bag or by a tapering of the cover at its distal end. A distal opening provided by the predetermined breaking point(s) may be used for inserting a new implant in the cover after the (original) implant is removed.

[0021] The cover may comprise a marker element, e.g. one or more X-ray markers, for identifying the predetermined breaking point(s). The marker element may be a fluid X-ray contrast agent. The X-ray contrast agent may be resorbed or discarded after the cover is opened.

[0022] The cover may comprise opening means which allow opening the cover. The opening means may be a filament or a wire which may be embedded in the cover. By pulling the filament or the wire, the cover is opened.

[0023] The outer surface of the cover may have a roughened surface structure. The roughened surface structure may support ingrowth of the cover in tissue of the heart which may lead to an improved fixation of the implant.

[0024] The outer surface of the cover, or at least a part of the outer surface, preferably in a distal region, may comprise nanotubes or an anti-inflammatory coating, e.g. a steroid. Hereby, ingrowth of the cover in tissue may be inhibited.

[0025] The cover may be permeable or selectively permeable. For example, the cover may be permeable for body fluid such that body fluid may contact the implant and may transfer electrical charge. The implant may be used as a biochemical sensor, e.g. for K+, Na+, Ca+ or other electrolytes, biochemical markers like NT-proBNP, Kidney markers like Cystatine C, Glucose and others.

[0026] The inner surface of the cover may have a hydrophilic coating and/or a coating with a low coefficient of friction. This may reduce resistance when removing the implant from the cover.

[0027] The cover may comprise an electrically conductive material. Hereby, the cover may be used as an electrode.

[0028] The cover may comprise an electrically insulating material. In this case, the cover is an insulator.

[0029] The features disclosed in regard with the system may also apply to the methods and vice versa.

Description of exemplary embodiments



[0030] Following, embodiments are described with reference to figures. Here show:
Fig. 1
an implantable intracariac pacemaker (leadless pacemaker),
Fig. 2
an implantable intracardiac pacemaker with a cover, and
Fig. 3
explantation of the intracardiac pacemaker.


[0031] Same reference numerals are used for same components.

[0032] The left side of Fig. 1 shows an implantable intracardiac pacemaker 110 with a fixation element 120. The fixation element 120 is disposed at a proximal end of the intracardiac pacemaker 110. The fixation element 120 may be a screw or may be formed by one or more tines (not shown). The intracardiac pacemaker 110 may comprise an energy source (e.g. a battery) and a control unit (e.g. a processor) which is configured for generating pacing pulses for the heart. The energy source and the control unit may be enclosed by an implant body. The implant body may be encapsulated.

[0033] Using conventional procedures, the implantable intracardiac pacemaker 110 is implanted in the heart of a patient, e.g. in the atrium or in the ventricle. The implantable intracardiac pacemaker is fixed to the myocardium 130 by the fixation element 120. Several weeks after the implantation, the intracardiac pacemaker is overgrown by tissue 140 as shown in the right side of Fig. 1. Since a large portion of the surface (or even the complete surface) of the intracardiac pacemaker 110 is covered by the tissue 140, it is not possible to explant the intracardiac pacemaker 110 in an easy and safe manner.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows an implantable intracardiac pacemaker 110 which is surrounded at least in part by a cover 150 (left side of Fig. 2). The cover 150 may also be called an explantation cover. The cover 150 has an opening 180 which is formed at a proximal end of the cover 150. After the intracardiac pacemaker 110 with the cover 150 is implanted in a heart, tissue 140' grows and covers the cover 150 (shown on the right side of Fig. 2). The cover may be made of a biocompatible and/or biostable material, e.g. silicone or polyurethane (PU).

[0035] Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of an explantation of the intracardiac pacemaker 110 with the cover 150. For example, the intracardiac pacemaker 110 may be removed from the heart when the battery is empty. In a first step, the cover 150 is opened at a distal end 160. The cover 150 may be opened by a catheter-based tool 170 (left side of Fig. 3). Alternatively, the cover may be opened by an opening means integrated in the cover (not shown).

[0036] After the cover 150 is opened, the intracardiac pacemaker 110 is removed (right side of Fig. 3). The empty cover 150 collapses and remains in the heart. In case the inner surface of the cover 150 comprises a bioresorbable material, the bioresorbable material starts to be resorbed, further reducing the volume of the remaining cover.

[0037] The opening mean itself or a part of it, e.g. a wire, may be made of an X-ray dense material to be visible during an X-ray guided explant procedure.

[0038] The features disclosed in the specification, the claims and the figures may be relevant for realizing embodiments either alone or in any combination with each other.

List of reference numerals:



[0039] 
110
intracardiac pacemaker
120
fixation element
130
myocardium
140
tissue on intracardiac pacemaker
140'
tissue on cover
150
cover
160
distal end of the cover
170
tool
180
opening



Claims

1. A system comprising an intracardiac implant (110) and a cover (150), wherein the cover (150) at least partially surrounds the implant (110).
 
2. The system of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the cover (150), which is facing the implant (110), comprises an inner layer comprising a bioresorbable material.
 
3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein an outer surface of the cover (150), which is facing away from the implant (110), comprises an outer layer comprising a non-bioresorbable material.
 
4. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) is made of a flexible material.
 
5. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) is made of a non-porous material.
 
6. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) comprises a predetermined breaking point.
 
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the cover (150) comprises a marker element for identifying the predetermined breaking point.
 
8. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) comprises opening means which allow opening the cover (150).
 
9. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface of the cover (150) has a roughened surface structure.
 
10. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface of the cover (150) comprises nanotubes or an anti-inflammatory coating at least in parts of the surface.
 
11. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) is permeable or selectively permeable.
 
12. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner surface of the cover (150) has a hydrophilic coating and/or a coating with a low coefficient of friction.
 
13. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (150) comprises an electrically conductive material.
 
14. The system of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the cover (150) comprises an electrically insulating material.
 




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Search report




Cited references

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description