Anchors including rigid bodies defining full length slots for use with implantable medical leads

• US 9,878,146 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Olson, Robert L., Bischoff, Thomas C., Kern, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US15/376,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0293 Catheter, guide wire or the like with means for holding, centering, anchoring or frictionally engaging the device within an artificial lumen, e.g. tube natural lumen, e.g. vessels A61M25/04
• 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 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0582 Suture sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve

Abstract

Anchors for use with implantable medical leads include an elastic body containing one or more rigid bodies that have longitudinal free edges. The longitudinal free edges run from end to end to define full length slots. Partial length slots may also be included within the one or more rigid bodies. The full length and partial length slots allow for deflection of the rigid bodies against the body of an implantable medical lead to hold the anchor in place on the lead. The full length slots allow a blade to pass through and cut a slit in the elastic body which allows the anchor to be removed from the lead.

Claims

1. A method of anchoring an implantable medical lead, comprising:

sliding an anchor installation tool onto a free end of the medical lead and along the lead body until reaching a desired location on the lead body, with an anchor disposed on the anchor installation tool, the anchor including an elastic body defining a passageway and including a deflectable rigid body entirely within the passageway of the elastic body, the rigid body defining at least a portion of a lead passageway extending from a first end of the rigid body to a second end of the rigid body with the second end being a most distal end of the rigid body, the first end and the second end defining radial surfaces in a plane perpendicular from an axial dimension of the passageway with the first end having a shoulder that creates a larger diameter than the second end, the elastic body engaging the radial surface of at least the second end, the rigid body having an inner surface facing radially inward toward the lead passageway and extending from the first end to the second end of the rigid body, the entire inner surface being exposed to the lead passageway from the first end to the second end, the rigid body having a longitudinal free edge extending from the first end to the second end over the entire length of the rigid body, the longitudinal free edge being an edge of a surface at an outermost radial position of the rigid body, the longitudinal free edge having a first portion at the outermost radial position that is parallel to an axial dimension of the passageway and having a second portion extending axially from the first portion to the first end of the rigid body at the outermost radial position and to a different circumferential position to form an angle greater than zero and less than 90 degrees in a circumferential direction relative to the axial dimension of the passageway and having a third portion extending axially from the first portion to the second end of the rigid body at the outermost radial position and to a different circumferential position to form an angle greater than zero and less than 90 degrees in a circumferential direction relative to the axial dimension of the passageway, the anchor installation tool being present within the lead passageway; and

forcing the anchor off of the anchor installation tool and onto the lead such that the rigid body contacts the lead such that the anchor is held in position on the lead.