Implant Delivery Catheter System And Methods For Its Use

Abstract

Catheter systems and methods for implanting helical or dart-like implants into the myocardium or other body tissue. The catheter system includes a helix for fixing the distal end of the catheter to the myocardium, an implant held by the helix, mechanisms for driving the fixation helix into the myocardium, and mechanisms for driving the implant into the myocardium, removing the fixation helix and leaving the implant behind. The implant may be coated, filled, or made of a drug or drug eluting compound, or drug delivery matrix of any composition.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A catheter system for delivering a helical implant into tissue including:
 a helical implant;   a steerable catheter; and   a central holder disposed within the steerable catheter, said central holder releasably attached to the helical implant.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter system of  claim 1  wherein the central holder is releasably attached to the helical implant through a detent system. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter system of  claim 1  wherein the helical implant further comprises a plurality of detent receiving ports, and the central holder further comprises a plurality of detents configured to engage the detent ports. 
     
     
         4 . The catheter system of  claim 3 , wherein the detents of the central holder comprise outwardly biased fingers with inwardly facing detents which mate with the detent receiving ports. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter system of  claim 4 , wherein the steerable catheter is longitudinally translatable relative to the central holder, and operable to hold the detents of the outwardly biased fingers in engagement with the detent receiving ports when disposed about the detent fingers, and operable to translate relative to the holder to allow the fingers to open to an unrestrained position to release the helical implant. 
     
     
         6 . The catheter system of  claim 4  wherein the helical implant is characterized by a proximal end and a distal end, and the central holder is characterized by a proximal end and a distal end, and the detent receiving ports are disposed at the proximal end of the helical implant, and the helical implant is releasably attached to the distal end of the central holder. 
     
     
         7 . The catheter system of  claim 1  wherein the helical implant comprises a drug delivery helix, said drug delivery helix loaded with therapeutic agents.