Tools and methods for removing anchors from medical leads

• US 9,615,823 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Silverberg, Jacob W., Kern, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/356,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 606 76, 606 80, 606 83, 606169, 606170, 606171, 606172, 606174, 606177, 606184, 606185, 606205, 606206, 606207, 30278, 30280, 604161, D24146, D24147
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0467 Instruments for cutting sutures surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/50 Instruments, other than pincettes or toothpicks, for removing foreign bodies from the human body locating otherwise A61B5/06; locating by radiation A61B6/00; removing calculi A61B17/22; from the eyes A61F9/00709
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0411 Instruments for removing suture anchors for removing suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/049
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart

Abstract

Tools and methods for removing anchors from medical leads involve a guide portion and a blade. The lead is inserted within a lead passageway of the guide portion of the tool and the tool is moved along so that the blade contacts the anchor and cuts a slit in the anchor as the tool. Once the blade has cut the slit through the entire anchor, the anchor comes free of the lead and the tool can be removed. The tool may include a manner of opening and closing the guide portion so as to provide access to the lead when open and to contain the lead when closed. Opening the guide portion allows the lead to be inserted or removed by laterally moving the lead into or out of the lead passageway such that the tool may be installed or removed at any available point along the lead.

Claims

1. An implantable medical lead anchor removal tool, comprising:

a first body including a guide portion having an inner lead passageway having a longitudinal dimension defined along the length of the guide portion;

a second body movably coupled to the first body by a coupling providing an axis of rotation of the second body relative to the first body where the axis of rotation is parallel to the longitudinal dimension from at least one perspective perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension, the second body having a protrusion that is present within the inner lead passageway, the inner lead passageway being opened along the longitudinal dimension when the second body is moved relative to the first body about the axis of rotation of the coupling to thereby remove the protrusion of the second body from the inner lead passageway, wherein at least one of the first body and the second body provides an elongated portion including an arcuate top edge and an arcuate bottom edge where a radius of curvature of both the arcuate top edge and the arcuate bottom edge has a center point spaced from the bottom edge in a direction away from the top edge and wherein the arcuate top edge and the arcuate bottom edge span more than half of a length of the elongated portion; and

a blade present within the first body, the blade having a cutting edge that is at least partially exposed from the first body and that is aligned so that a plane defined by the blade intersects with the guide portion in the first body such that the blade contacts the guide portion where the guide portion forms the inner lead passageway and with the entire blade being outside of the inner lead passageway.

2. The implantable medical lead anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupling comprises a hinged coupling and wherein the first body and the second body are hingedly coupled such that the second body rotates at the hinged coupling to move relative to the first body.

3. The implantable medical lead anchor of claim 2, wherein the first body, the second body, and the hinged coupling are integral to a tool body.

4. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 2, further comprising an edge indentation in a first edge of the first body and an edge indentation in a first edge of the second body, wherein the edge indentation in the first body and the edge indentation in the second body become aligned and form a common edge indentation when the first body and the second body are brought together by rotation at the hinged coupling.

5. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 2, further comprising a side indentation in a first side of the first body and a side indentation in a first side of the second body, wherein the side indentation of the first body and the side indentation of the second body become aligned when the first body and the second body are brought together by rotation about the hinged coupling.

6. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of protrusions present on an outer surface of the first body and the second body, the protrusions being oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal dimension of the guide portion.

7. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, wherein both the first body and the second body have top and bottom edges that are arcuately shaped.

8. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of protrusions present on opposing outer surfaces of the first body, the protrusions being oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal dimension of the guide portion.

9. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, further comprising an edge indentation in a first edge of the first body.

10. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, further comprising a side indentation in opposing sides of the first body.

11. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, wherein the first body has the top edge and the bottom edge that are arcuately shaped.

12. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of protrusions present on opposing outer surfaces of the second body.

13. The implantable medical lead anchor removal tool of claim 1, wherein the inner lead passageway has an opening at both ends with each opening being present when the second body moves relative to the first body.