STEERABLE INTRODUCER ASSEMBLY FOR FIRST PERCUTANEOUSLY IDENTIFYING TARGET TISSUE AND THEN DEFINING A PERCUTANEOUS PATH TO THE TARGET TISSUE FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE
An assembly for both targeting a location in a living being at which an implantable medical device is to be inserted and defining a percutaneous path to the target location. The assembly includes a guidewire with electrodes that is inserted percutaneously into the living being. Electrodes on the guidewire source and sink current to facilitate the identification of the target location. A dilator encased in a reinforced sleeve is disposed over the guidewire. Steering wires in the sleeve facilitate the advancement of the sleeve and the guidewire. Once the dilator and sleeve are advanced to the target location, the dilator is removed from the sleeve. The lumen in sleeve functions as the lumen in the living being through which the implantable device is delivered to the target location.
