| abstract |
An elongated coronary vein probe (10) having a variable rigidity probe body (12) and preferably designed to be introduced into a selected coronary vein to provide a stimulation or defibrillation signal to a predetermined region of the heart of a patient, such as the left ventricle, is described. A method for stimulating and / or defibrillating the heart of a patient using the probe is also described. The method for stimulating and / or defibrillating the heart involves advancing the coronary vein probe into both the coronary sinus (13) and a selected coronary vein of a patient's heart, connecting the probe to a source (30). ) of electrical stimulation and apply electrical stimulation to a particular chamber of the patient's heart via the implanted probe. The variable rigidity probe body (12) increases the possibility for the probe to be retained in a coronary vein after it has been implanted therein. |