Patent ID: 7330764

Claim:
A method of providing electrical stimulation of body tissue at a stimulation site employing an implantable pulse generator comprising: providing an implantable medical lead comprising: a lead body extending between lead proximal and distal ends; P proximal connector elements formed in a connector ray in a proximal segment of the lead body; P stimulation electrodes arranged in an electrode array extending proximally from the lead distal end through a distal segment of the lead body; P lead conductors extending between the P connector elements and the P stimulation electrodes; and a plurality of M tine elements formed of a flexible biocompatible plastic, formed in a tine element array extending through a segment of the lead proximal to the electrode array, each tine element comprising N flexible, pliant, tines, each tine having a tine width and thickness and extending through a tine length from an attached tine end to a free tine end, the attached tine end attached to the lead body from a tine attachment site and supporting the tine extending outwardly of the lead body and proximally toward the lead proximal end, the M×N tines adapted to be folded inward and proximally against the lead body; percutaneously introducing an introducer having an introducer lumen extending between an introducer lumen proximal end opening and an introducer lumen distal end opening through body tissue to locate the introducer lumen distal end opening adjacent to the stimulation site; disposing the implantable medical lead within the introducer lumen with the M×N tines folded inward against the lead body by constraint imposed by the introducer lumen without overlapping one another; withdrawing the introducer proximally relative to the implantable medical lead to expose at least one stimulation electrode of the P stimulation electrodes but not so far as to release a tine of the tine element array, and then testing to determine whether positioning is complete; after the step of testing to determine whether positioning is complete, withdrawing the introducer proximally from the tine element array to successively release the N tines of each tine element array to deploy outward and proximally to engage body tissue and inhibit axial dislodgement of the P stimulation electrodes; and coupling the P proximal connector elements with the implantable pulse generator.