Anchor having fill port for use with an implantable therapy delivery element

• US 8,192,406 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wells, Patrick D., Baudino, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, EMILY LOUISE
• Application Number:
  US12/349,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20100174240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 604/174, 604/175, 607/32, 607/132
• US Class Current: 604/175
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor

Abstract

An anchor for securing a therapy delivery element in a desired location within a living body is disclosed. The anchor includes an anchor body having a space, which may be a main channel, to receive the therapy delivery element. A fill port is provided in the anchor body to introduce an adhesive into the space when the therapy delivery element is positioned within the space. In one embodiment, the fill port is coupled to a fill port extension that transfers the adhesive from a dispenser located a distance from the fill port into the space. Multiple fill ports, any of which may be coupled to a respective fill port extension, may be provided to introduce the adhesive at various locations of the space. One or more of the fill ports may extend into multiple side channels to introduce the adhesive at various locations of the space.

Claims

1. An anchor for securing a therapy delivery element in a desired location within a living body, comprising:

an anchor body having a space to receive the therapy delivery element; and

a fill port provided in the anchor body to introduce an adhesive into the space when the therapy delivery element is positioned within the space;

wherein the fill port includes a structure configured to removably couple to a dispenser for dispensing the adhesive, whereby the adhesive affixes the anchor to the therapy delivery element.

2. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising a till port extension having a first end coupled to the fill port, a second end to receive the adhesive, and an intermediate portion to transfer the adhesive to the fill port, whereby the second end may be located a distance from the fill port when the adhesive is dispensed.

3. The anchor of claim 2, wherein the fill port extension includes a connector to receive a dispenser containing the adhesive.

4. The anchor of claim 2, wherein the anchor body includes one or more channels, and wherein the adhesive is pre-loaded into at least one of the fill port extension and the one or more channels.

5. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising multiple channels between the fill port and the space to introduce the adhesive into the space.

6. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises threads to engage complementary threads of a dispenser containing the adhesive.

7. The anchor of claim 1, further including multiple fill ports in the anchor body, each to introduce the adhesive into the space.

8. The anchor of claim 7, further including a respective fill port extension coupled to each of the multiple till ports.

9. The anchor of claim 7, wherein the space comprises a main channel that includes first and second ends and wherein a first of the multiple fill ports is located proximate to the first end and a second of the multiple fill ports is located proximate to the second end.

10. The anchor of claim 7, wherein the space comprises a main channel and a first of the multiple fill ports is on one side of the main, channel and a second of the multiple fill ports is on an opposite side of the main channel.

11. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising at least one element to couple the anchor to the living body.

12. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the space includes an enlarged portion to receive the adhesive when the therapy delivery element is located within the space.

13. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor body includes at least one of an RFID tag and a radio-opaque marker.

14. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises at least one of a neck extending from a surface of the anchor and one or more threads of a threaded surface.

15. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a fill port extension.

16. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the structure is configured to provide a snap fit with the dispenser.

17. A method for securing a therapy delivery element within a living body, comprising:

positioning an anchor relative to the therapy delivery element;

removably coupling, via a coupling structure of the anchor, a fill port of the anchor to a dispenser of adhesive; and

introducing the adhesive into a space between the anchor and the therapy delivery element via the fill port so that the adhesive affixes the anchor to the therapy delivery element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the space comprises a channel, and wherein introducing the adhesive comprises introducing the adhesive along at least a portion of a length of the channel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein introducing the adhesive comprises introducing the adhesive to multiple points along the channel.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein introducing the adhesive comprises introducing the adhesive into the space via multiple channels extending from the fill port to the space.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the space comprises a main channel, and wherein introducing the adhesive comprises introducing the adhesive at opposite ends of the main channel via respective ones of the multiple channels.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein introducing the adhesive comprises introducing the adhesive into the space via the fill port extension from a dispenser located at a distance from the fill port.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein introducing the adhesive comprises pre-loading at least one of the anchor and the till port extension with adhesive.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the anchor is pre-loaded with adhesive that is maintained outside of the space by a retention member and wherein introducing the adhesive comprises removing the retention member after the anchor is in position relative to the therapy delivery element.

25. A system to deliver therapy to a living body, comprising:

a therapy delivery device;

a therapy delivery element extending from the therapy delivery device to deliver therapy to the living body; and

an anchor to receive the therapy delivery element, wherein the anchor comprises a fill port configured to removably couple to a dispenser for dispensing adhesive, whereby the adhesive affixes the anchor to the therapy delivery element.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the anchor comprises a channel, and wherein the fill port is configured to transfer adhesive along at least a portion of a length of the channel.

27. The system of claim 25, further including a fill port extension providing a conduit to transfer the adhesive to the fill port from a dispenser that is located at a distance from the fill port.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the fill port extension is removably coupled to the fill port.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the fill port comprises at least one of a neck extending from a surface of the anchor and one or more threads of a threaded surface.