A system and method for securing a medical implant within a patient includes disposing an anchor element around the implant, the anchor element including a pair of tabs each including an eyelet, and a flexible intermediate portion between the tabs, by positioning the implant within the intermediate portion and folding the anchor element such that the tabs contact one another. The anchor element is positioned at a desired implantation position with the tabs proximate soft tissue of the patient. The method further includes inserting a distal tip of a fixation element delivery tool through the eyelets and into the soft tissue, the fixation element including at least one tissue anchor and an adjustable suture arrangement coupled to the tissue anchor. The tissue anchor is deployed from the delivery tool and into the soft tissue of the patient. The delivery tool is withdrawn and the adjustable suture arrangement is tightened.

A retention device for use with an implantable medical device (IMD) are disclosed. An illustrative retention device may comprise an elongate body including a configured to receive the lead of the IMD. The retention device may also include securing mechanisms coupled to the elongate body and configured to push against tissue of a patient. The securing mechanisms may also include linking elements coupled to the elongate body and a portion of the securing mechanisms.

A lead anchor for neuromodulation includes a solid anchor block having at least one opening and a lumen. The opening is connected with the lumen and has a longitudinal axis. The lumen is configured to receive a portion of the neuromodulation lead. An anchor body at least partially covers the anchor block. A fixing element has a fastening portion and a head portion. To achieve a lead anchor that is more robust against axially acting forces, so that primarily a slippage of the lead or a slippage of the lead anchor can be prevented, the fastening portion is configured to be inserted along the axis into the opening to fix the portion of the neuromodulation lead. The head portion includes at least one first stop feature having a dimension in a radial direction with respect to the axis that is greater than a diameter of the opening.

In various examples, a suture anchor includes a sheath including a lumen. A frame member is disposed at least partially within the sheath. The frame member includes at least two suture loops extending from the sheath. The suture loops are configured to receive a suture, wherein tightening of the suture causes compression of the frame member to constrict the lumen of the sheath.

A system and method for installing/implanting a leadless implant can include a leadless implant with shortened tine-based anchors and an implantation tool with a modified tip. The tines can extend from a surface of the leadless implant and may include a preformed curve or other shape to enable the tine to hook into or grapple tissue. The implantation tool may be provided with a modified tip to assist with proper alignment, insertion, and anchoring of the shortened tines. A tip of the implantation tool can have a reduced inner diameter to cause the tine tips to be approximately normal to the surface of the tissue to which the implant is being anchored. Upon deployment of the leadless implant, the tines of the anchoring mechanism are appropriately aligned for proper insertion so that robust anchoring is achieved.

A fixing device for fixing a longitudinally extended element, having a fixing sleeve that surrounds a lumen extended in an axial direction for receiving the longitudinally extended element, the fixing sleeve having an inner side defining the lumen and an outer side facing away from the inner side, the fixing sleeve being embodied for fixing the fixing sleeve on the longitudinally extended element to be subjected to compression in the radial direction of the fixing sleeve by means of the at least one fixing element. The fixing device has an indicator device that is embodied to visually indicate when a force applied to the fixing sleeve by means of the at least one fixing element for compressing the fixing sleeve attains or exceeds a threshold.

A lead anchor comprising a longitudinally extending anchor body and a retainer. The longitudinally extending anchor body having a lumen positioned to receive a spinal cord lead therethrough and having a retainer pocket intersecting the lumen. The retainer is positioned in the retainer pocket. The retainer comprises a first grip member having at least one first aperture, a second grip member having at least one second aperture, and at least one U-shaped resilient portion connecting the first and second grip members.

Implantable medical leads include a shield that is guarded at a termination by having a first portion and a second portion of the shield, where the first portion is between a termination of the shield at the second portion and an inner insulation layer that surrounds the filars. The first portion may reduce the coupling of RF energy from the termination of the shield at the second portion to the filars. The first and second portions may be part of a continuous shield, where the first and second portions are separated by an inversion of the shield. The first and second portions may instead be separate pieces. The first portion may be noninverted and reside between the termination at the second portion and the inner layers, or the first portion may be inverted to create first and second sub-portions. The shield termination at the second portion is between the first and second sub-portions.

An implantable therapy lead is disclosed herein. The lead includes an elongated lead body having a suture sleeve. The suture sleeve is supported on the lead body and has each of an outer surface and an inner surface radially inward of the outer surface. The inner surface defines a lumen through which the elongated lead body extends. The suture sleeve further includes a structure projecting radially inward and/or outward from the inner surface. The suture sleeve is compressible from a first state into a second state by applying a constrictive force to the outer surface of the suture sleeve such that, when in the second state, the structure contacts the elongated lead body, at least in part, to resist movement of the elongated lead body relative to the suture sleeve.

A lead wire associated with a pacemaker, implantable cardiac defibrillator or other cardiac electric signal source is provided with a protector tube overlying at least a portion of the lead wire. In one embodiment, this protector tube is provided as a sheath tube portion of a sheath assembly along with a valve body. The valve body of the sheath assembly is fracturable and removable away from the sheath tube, leaving the sheath tube upon the lead wire as a protector tube. In other embodiments, a separate protector tube is provided and fed over the lead wire and through a sheath assembly until placed where desired. A grommet and/or plug can be provided at a proximal end of the protector tube for anchoring of the protector tube in a desired location and for plugging the protector tube, while also accommodating the lead wire passing therethrough.