Patent ID: 8409239

Claim:
An anchoring mechanism for an implantable medical device comprising: a tubular member configured to be placed within a body lumen and coupled proximally to the implantable medical device, the tubular member having a distal portion with a distal end; and an anchor comprising: a tip at the distal end of the anchor, a proximal anchor portion coupled to the tubular member such that the tip of the anchor extends from the distal portion of the tubular member, and a central anchor portion between the tip and the proximal anchor portion, the anchor having a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein the central anchor portion and the proximal anchor portion are in a substantially linear relationship relative to the tubular member when in the stowed configuration, wherein the central anchor portion is curved to form a closed loop when the anchor is in the deployed configuration; and wherein the tip and the central portion are configured, when deployed, to extend through a wall of the body lumen from an inner surface of the wall to an outer surface of the wall such that the entire closed loop is positioned outside of the wall and engages the outer surface when the anchor is in the deployed configuration.