Medtronic, Inc.

Chad C Whiterabbit

Scott M Hanson

Adam J Rivard

Joseph P Ricci

Evan Mark Gustafson

Phillip C Falkner

Thomas I Miller

Bruce A Behymer

Raymond F McMullen

Douglas Scott Cerny

Jeffrey R Dixon

Charles Thomas Bombeck

Darrin E Dickerson

Joshua D Trevorrow

Tips for use on a tunneling tool provide the ability to pull an implantable medical lead extension or catheter body through a subcutaneous tunnel. The tips may include a pin with a barb, where the barb is inserted within a compliant portion of a connector body of the lead extension or a catheter body to create an interference fit that allows the connector body or catheter body to be pulled through the tunnel. The tips may include a carrier that has a cavity for the connector body, where the tunneling is performed with the carrier present on the tunneling tool. A body is positioned within the cavity of the carrier to prevent tissue from snagging on and collecting within the carrier. The body may include a tip portion that performs the tunneling function. The carrier may also provide tunneling and/or may be attached to the tunneling tool during tunneling.

Tools and methods for implantation of implantable medical lead extensions or catheters

Kits provide management of implantable lead extensions being implanted by providing a kit body with features that retain the extension in a configuration, with amounts being removed as needed during the implantation procedure. The kit can be present within a sterile field, and the kit body features may be arranged so that a length of a path that the extension forms is approximately equal to a length of the extension needed for the tunnel. The kit body may include features that allow the connectors of the extension as well as implantation tools to be retained within the kit body while being easily accessed when needed during the procedure. The kit may be coupled to the patient during the trial period, as the extension may have an implanted distal connector while having a proximal connector coupled to an external stimulator and while being retained on the kit body.

Kits and methods for implanting an implantable lead extension

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Mahtomedi, MN, United States of America

Chad C Whiterabbit