Patent ID: 8086324

Claim:
An intrapericardial lead for delivery via a percutaneous puncture and configurable by insertion of a stylet into the lead, the lead comprising: a lead body including a stylet receiving lumen, a distal tip, and a distal portion proximal of the distal tip and biased to assume a non-linear configuration, wherein insertion of the stylet into the lumen such that the distal tip is distally displaced relative to the rest of the lead body causes the distal portion to transition from the non-linear configuration to a generally linear configuration; a first arm member having a distal end, and a proximal end coupled to the lead body proximal of the distal tip; and a nosepiece, at least a portion of which is biodegradable, having a first leg defining a first lumen opening configured to receive the distal tip of the lead body and a second leg defining a second lumen opening configured to receive the distal end of the first arm member, wherein the first leg and the second leg obliquely intersect such that the lead body, first arm member and nosepiece form a closed arrangement prior to biodegradation of the nosepiece and an open arrangement after biodegradation of the nosepiece, wherein in the closed arrangement the lead body and the first arm have non-uniform spacing there between along their respective lengths, and wherein the biodegradable portion of the nosepiece is configured to degrade to allow for the open arrangement after a time sufficient to allow for chronic fixation of the lead.