Neurological stimulation lead anchors and associated systems and methods

• US 9,265,935 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Inventors: Thacker, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): GETZOW, SCOTT M
• Application Number:
  US14/309,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor

Abstract

A spinal cord lead anchor comprising a longitudinally extending sleeve having an aperture sized and positioned to receive a spinal cord lead. A retainer is disposed around the sleeve and is operative to compress at least a portion of the sleeve against a spinal cord lead extending through the sleeve. A cover extends around the retainer and includes at least one opening formed through the cover to facilitate engaging the retainer with a tool.

Claims

1. A lead anchor, comprising:

a longitudinally extending sleeve having an aperture sized and positioned to receive a lead therethrough;

a retainer disposed around the sleeve and operative to compress at least a portion of the sleeve against a lead extending through the aperture; and

a cover extending around the retainer.

2. The lead anchor of claim 1, wherein the retainer is a tube elastically deformable from a contracted state to an expanded state.

3. The lead anchor of claim 2, wherein the tube has an oval cross section in the contracted state and a circular cross-section in the expanded state.

4. The lead anchor of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a pair of openings aligned with the retainer to provide access to the retainer from outside the cover.

5. The lead anchor of claim 4, wherein the openings are longitudinally extending slots.

6. The lead anchor of claim 1, wherein the retainer is a circlip having a pair of apertures engageable with a tool.

7. The lead anchor of claim 6, further comprising a spacer disposed between the pair of apertures to maintain the circlip in an expanded state.

8. The lead anchor of claim 7, wherein the spacer is frangible.

9. The lead anchor of claim 7, wherein the spacer is deformable.

10. A spinal cord lead anchor, comprising:

a longitudinally extending sleeve having an aperture sized and positioned to receive a spinal cord lead therethrough;

a retainer disposed around the sleeve and operative to compress at least a portion of the sleeve against a spinal cord lead extending through the aperture;

a cover extending over the retainer including at least one opening formed through the cover to facilitate engaging the retainer with a tool; and

a pair of anchor tabs positioned to facilitate attaching the lead anchor to a patient.

11. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 10, wherein the anchor tabs extend from the cover.

12. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 11, wherein the anchor tabs each include an anchor aperture.

13. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 12, wherein the cover includes two grooves, each one aligned with a corresponding one of the anchor tabs.

14. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 10, wherein the retainer is normally contracted.

15. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 14, wherein the retainer is a circlip having a pair of apertures engageable with a tool.

16. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 10, wherein the retainer is normally expanded.

17. The spinal cord lead anchor of claim 16, wherein the retainer includes a latch device positioned to maintain the retainer in a contracted state.

18. A method of anchoring a lead, comprising:

inserting a lead into a sleeve;

maintaining a retainer disposed around the sleeve in an expanded state with a spacer;

removing the spacer, thereby changing the retainer to a contracted state; and

compressing the sleeve against the lead with the retainer while the retainer is in the contracted state.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising placing the retainer in the expanded state and repositioning the lead with respect to the sleeve.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising attaching the sleeve to a patient.

21. A lead anchor, comprising:

a longitudinally extending sleeve having an aperture sized and positioned to receive a lead therethrough;

a retainer disposed around the sleeve and operative to compress at least a portion of the sleeve against a lead extending through the aperture, wherein the retainer is a normally contracted circlip having a pair of apertures engageable with a tool; and

a cover extending over the sleeve and the retainer, the cover including;

a pair of longitudinally extending slots, each slot aligned with one of the apertures to provide access to the pair of apertures from outside the cover;

at least one anchor tab positioned to facilitate attaching the lead anchor to a patient; and

an associated groove aligned with the at least one anchor tab.

22. A lead anchor, comprising:

a longitudinally extending sleeve having an aperture sized and positioned to receive a lead therethrough;

a retainer disposed around the sleeve and operative to compress at least a portion of the sleeve against a lead extending through the aperture, wherein the retainer is a circlip having a pair of apertures engageable with a tool; and

a spacer disposed between the pair of apertures to maintain the circlip in an expanded state.