Patent ID: 6721597
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
A method of implanting a subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillator in a patient comprising the steps of;making only one skin incision in the thoracic region of the patient; inserting a curved introducer through the skin incision to make a subcutaneous path in the thoracic region such that the path terminates subcutaneously at a location that if a straight line were drawn from the skin incision to the path termination the line would intersect the heart of the patient; implanting an electrode subcutaneously at the path termination point; placing an electrically active canister subcutaneously at the skin incision point wherein the canister contains a source of electrical energy and operational circuitry that senses the presence of potentially fatal heart rhythms and has means for delivering electrical cardioversion-defibrillation energy using the canister as either the anode or the cathode and using the electrode as the opposite electrode from the canister, and wherein the canister is electrically connected to the electrode; and closing the skin incision.