Systems and methods for fixating transvenously implanted medical devices

Abstract

A transvenously implantable medical device (TIMD) includes an electrical lead and a control module. The electrical lead includes one or more electrodes and is adapted for transvenous implantation. The electrical lead is also pre-biased to expand from a collapsed state to an expanded state to mechanically engage an internal wall of a blood vessel. The control module is secured to and in electrical communication with the electrical lead. The control module includes a signal management component and a power component disposed in a housing adapted for implantation into the blood vessel. The control module is adapted for at least one of stimulating and sensing a physiologic response using the one or more electrodes of the electrical lead.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical system, comprising:
 a first device configured to transmit an optical trigger signal; and   an implantable medical device (IMD) configured to receive the optical trigger signal and to initiated delivery of a therapy to a patient in response to receiving the optical trigger signal.   
     
     
         2 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the therapy comprises electrical stimulation therapy. 
     
     
         3 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is configured to initiate delivery of an electrical stimulation therapy to a targeted body tissue of the patient via a pair of electrodes of the IMD in response to receiving the optical trigger signal. 
     
     
         4 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD is an implantable cardiac pacemaker. 
     
     
         5 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device is an implantable medical device. 
     
     
         6 . The medical system of  claim 5 , wherein the first device is an implantable cardiac stimulation device. 
     
     
         7 . The medical system of  claim 6 , wherein the first device is external of the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the IMD further comprises sensing functionality, wherein the first device is configured to communicate with the IMD to control the sensing functionality of the IMD. 
     
     
         9 . A method for delivering therapy to a patient, comprising:
 transmitting an optical trigger signal from a first device into the body of the patient so as to reach an implanted second device;   detecting the optical trigger signal at the implanted second device; and   delivering a therapy to the patient via the implanted second device in response to detecting the optical trigger signal at the implanted second device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the therapy comprises electrical stimulation therapy. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the implanted second device initiates delivery of an electrical stimulation therapy to a targeted body tissue of the patient via a pair of electrodes of the implanted second device in response to detecting the optical trigger signal from the first device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the implanted second device is an implanted cardiac stimulation device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the implanted second device is a pacemaker. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first device is an implantable medical device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first device is an implantable cardiac stimulation device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 establishing a communication path between the first device and the an implanted second device via one or more of radiofrequency, acoustic or optical communication; and   controlling a sensing functionality of the implanted second device via the established communication path.   
     
     
         17 . An implantable medical device comprising:
 an optical receiver;   two or more electrodes for delivering electrical stimulation therapy to a targeted body tissue of a patient;   a control module operatively coupled to the optical receiver and the two or more electrodes, the control module configured to:
 detect an optical trigger signal received via the optical receiver; and 
 deliver the electrical stimulation therapy to the targeted body tissue of the patient in response to detecting the optical trigger signal. 
   
     
     
         18 . The implantable medical device of  claim 17 , wherein the control module is further configured to implement a sensing functionality using the two or more electrodes. 
     
     
         19 . The implantable medical device of  claim 18 , wherein the control module is configured to change the sensing functionality based on one or more signals received from a remotely located device. 
     
     
         20 . The implantable medical device of  claim 17 , wherein electrical stimulation therapy includes one or more electrostimulation pulse.