Patent ID: 7065407

Claim:
A method of inserting an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator within a patient, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cardioverter-defibrillator comprising a unitary housing, an electrical circuit located within the housing, and an electrode located on the housing, wherein the unitary housing has an exterior surface that is tapered from a first width at a proximal end to a second, smaller width at a distal end, wherein the cardioverter-defibrillator is configured to maintain the electrode in a predetermined relationship subcutaneously over a patient's ribcage; making an incision on a patient's thorax; and advancing the cardioverter-defibrillator through the incision and subcutaneously over a patient's ribcage, wherein the cardioverter-defibrillator is advanced approximately between a patient's third and a patient's twelfth rib.