Patent ID: 11950839
Assignee: SD CARDIOTHORACIC INNOVATIONS, LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 18:
19. A device adapted for the thoracoscopic placement of a pacing contact at a target site on an epicardial surface of a heart, the device comprising:
(a) an inner tubular vacuum conduit having an inner vacuum conduit distal end comprising an inner suction foot portion, said inner tubular vacuum conduit having a flexible distal end and adapted to conduct a vacuum to said inner suction foot portion;
(b) an outer tubular vacuum conduit having an outer vacuum conduit distal end comprising an outer suction foot portion, said outer tubular vacuum conduit having a flexible distal end and adapted to conduct a vacuum to said outer suction foot portion,
said inner tubular vacuum conduit slidingly engaged within outer tubular vacuum conduit, so as to permit said inner suction foot portion to be advanced from a position within said outer suction foot portion to a position beyond said outer suction foot portion distal end;
said inner tubular vacuum conduit is adapted, upon removal of said waste removal vacuum conduit, to slidingly engage a lead guide having a flexible distal portion and a contact head disposed on the distal end thereof, said contact head bearing a pacing lead and adapted to engage said inner suction foot so as to present such that said pacing lead from said inner suction foot, to extend said pacing lead from said inner suction foot;

(c) a releasable locking mechanism adapted to releasably restrict the axial movement of said inner tubular vacuum conduit with respect to said outer vacuum conduit; and
(d) a waste removal vacuum conduit having a waste removal vacuum conduit distal end, and slidingly engaged within said inner tubular vacuum conduit so as to permit said waste removal vacuum conduit distal end to be advanced to said inner suction foot portion distal end.