Torque Lock Anchor for Spinal Cord Stimulator Leads

The patent replaces the suturing mechanism with a mechanical fastening system. The lead anchor includes a body with a fastener that mechanically secures the lead through a lead slot, eliminating the need for variable suturing techniques. The fastener can be tightened to provide consistent, reliable anchorage without depending on surgeon skill or suture tension variability.

The patent changes the anchorage mechanism from a soft tissue-based suturing system to a rigid mechanical fastening system. The lead anchor body is made of rigid or semi-rigid material with precisely engineered slots and fasteners, transforming the anchorage parameters from dependent on suture material and technique to dependent on mechanical geometry and fastener tension, which can be more precisely controlled and standardized.

The patent replaces time-consuming suturing operations with a quick mechanical fastening system. The lead anchor can be positioned and secured using a fastener that can be tightened in seconds, dramatically reducing the time required for lead anchorage while maintaining or improving stability. This eliminates the need for multiple suture passes and knot-tying operations.

The lead anchor design allows for self-contained mechanical fastening without requiring additional suturing materials or complex surgical techniques. The fastener system is integrated into the anchor body itself, allowing the surgeon to simply tighten the existing mechanism rather than adding separate suturing components, thereby reducing both time and potential infection sources.

The patent replaces multiple suture passages through tissue (which create multiple potential infection pathways) with a single mechanical fastening system. The lead anchor body remains largely outside the tissue, with the fastener securing the lead at a single location, thereby minimizing the number of tissue penetrations and reducing infection risk while maintaining anchorage strength through mechanical means.

The patent extracts the anchorage function from the tissue suturing process and relocates it to a mechanical system that operates primarily outside the tissue. The lead anchor body and fastener system can be applied and secured with minimal tissue disruption, separating the anchorage function from the invasive suturing process and thereby reducing the window for bacterial contamination.

The lead anchor design allows for dynamic adjustment of fastener tension to achieve optimal anchorage without excessive force. The fastener can be tightened to the precise amount needed to secure the lead in position, and this tension can be monitored and adjusted during implantation. This dynamic control prevents the lead from being subjected to excessive static tension that could cause breakage, while still maintaining positional stability.

The patent changes the force application parameters from the all-or-nothing nature of suturing (where insufficient tension causes migration and excessive tension causes breakage) to a precisely controllable mechanical fastening system. The fastener allows for gradual tightening with feedback, enabling the surgeon to apply just the right amount of force to secure the lead without creating excessive tension that could damage the lead structure.