Spinal Cord Stimulation Lead Anchor with Dual Lumen Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Percutaneous spinal cord stimulation electrodes tend to migrate after implantation due to the difficulty in injecting adhesive between the anchor and the electrode or catheter, making existing anchoring methods inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An implantable anchor with a central lumen to receive the catheter and a second lumen for injecting adhesive, ensuring secure fixation and preventing migration by allowing easy access for adhesive introduction without requiring delicate tip placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive is injected to fill the dead space between the anchor and the catheter, then the anchoring strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the difficulty of inserting the injector tip into the miniscule dead space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second lumen that provides a new dimensional pathway for adhesive injection. Instead of attempting to inject adhesive through the constrained central lumen space, the second lumen creates an alternative route that bypasses the difficult-to-access dead space, allowing adhesive to be introduced from a different spatial dimension and direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The second lumen acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates adhesive delivery. It serves as a mediator between the injector and the dead space, making the injection process easier by providing a dedicated passage rather than requiring direct manipulation in the constrained central lumen environment.
2Ease of operation
If the anchor structure is made more complex to facilitate adhesive injection, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is segmented into multiple functional lumens: a central lumen for catheter passage and a second lumen for adhesive injection. This segmentation divides the anchor's functionality into distinct pathways, allowing each lumen to serve its specific purpose efficiently without interfering with the other, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor structure is designed with multi-functionality, where the second lumen serves dual purposes: it facilitates adhesive injection during implantation and can potentially serve as a reference or alignment feature during subsequent procedures. This multi-functional design improves ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The anchor effectively prevents catheter migration by ensuring strong adhesion between the anchor and the catheter, maintaining the electrode's position within the patient's body.
Implementation Method 1
adhesive may be injected into the anchor surrounding at least a portion of the catheter body. In doing so, the anchor may be fixed to the catheter body
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an implantable anchor for anchoring a catheter, including (by way of non-limiting example) an implantable lead, such as may be used for spinal cord stimulation, to the body of a patient, along with a method for its use. The anchor comprises an elongate body have a central lumen extending through the body from its proximal end to its distal end, which central lumen is configured to snugly receive the catheter body. In addition to the central lumen, a second lumen is provided in the proximal end of the anchor and is configured to receive an injector so that adhesive may be injected into the anchor surrounding at least a portion of the catheter body. In doing so, the anchor may be fixed to the catheter body, such that when the anchor is sutured in place within the patient's body, migration of the catheter may be avoided.