Devices, systems and methods for retracting, lifting, compressing, supporting or repositioning tissues or anatomical structures

• US 10,143,461 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences Limited (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NeoTract, Inc. (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Catanese, Joseph, Lamson, Theodore C., Makower, Joshua, Nagpurkar, Amik, Walke, Amrish Jayprakash, Welch, Jacqueline Nerney, Vidal, Claude, Redmond, Russell J., Collinson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US14/586,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20150182214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0467 Instruments for cutting sutures surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0625 the needle being specially adapted to interact with the manipulator, e.g. being ridged to snap fit in a hole of the manipulator A61B17/06109 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00274 Prostate operation, e.g. prostatectomy, turp, bhp treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00792 Plastic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00796 Breast surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0419 : H-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 : plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0451 : Cams or wedges holding the suture by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 : the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0456 : Surface features on the anchor, e.g. ribs increasing friction between the suture and the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 : Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0462 : One way system, i.e. also tensioning the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 : for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 : Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks for applying suture anchors A61B2017/0409; for applying wound clamps A61B17/10; for applying ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 : for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 : Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 : with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 : Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/041 : Bile ducts

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for retracting, lifting, compressing, supporting or repositioning tissues, organs, anatomical structures, grafts or other structures within the body of human or animal subjects for the purpose of treating a diseases or disorders and/or for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes and/or for research and development purposes or other purposes.

Claims

1. A device usable to anchor an elongate member to tissue of a human or animal subject, said anchor comprising:

an elongate member;

an anchor body comprising a tube having ends and sides and having a hollow passage through which the elongate member passes, an open proximal end, and a side aperture, wherein the entire aperture is located on a side of the tube roughly midway between the ends of the tube;

wherein the hollow passage extends at least from the open proximal end to the side aperture and the elongate member passes through the side aperture and the elongate member passes only once through the open proximal end of the anchor body; and

a locking member that is initially positioned in a non-locked position that allows the anchor body to advance over the elongate member and within the tube, and the locking member subsequently being advanced to a locked position where the locking member engages the elongate member thereby holding the anchor body at a substantially fixed position transverse to the elongate member.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the elongate member is selected from the group consisting of:

connector members, filaments, strands, threads, suture threads, string, wires, semi-rigid members, flexible members, elastic members, non-elastic members, resilient members and plastically deformable members.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the locking member comprises a locking pin.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the locking member comprises a wedging element that wedges between the elongate member and the anchor body.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the wedging element comprises an elongate shaft having branches or bristles extending therefrom.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the anchor body further comprises a locking member engagement surface that engages the locking member after it has been advanced to its locked position, thereby holding the locking member in its locked position.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein the locking member engagement surface comprises a tab that extends into the hollow channel and wherein a notch is formed in the locking member such that when the locking member is advanced to its locked position the tab will seat in the notch, thereby holding the locking member in its locked position.

8. A system comprising a device according to claim 1 in combination with an introducer that is insertable into the body and useable to advance the anchor body to a desired position on the elongate member and then move the locking member from its non-locked position to its locked position, thereby locking the anchor body at the desired location.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the introducer further comprises a cutter for cutting the elongate member at a site proximal to the anchor body after the anchor body has been advanced to the desired location.

10. The system according to claim 8 further comprising a handpiece on the proximal end of the introducer, said handpiece comprising a first actuator for advancing the anchor body over the elongate member and a second actuator for moving the locking member from its non-locked position to its locked position.

11. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a handpiece on the proximal end of the introducer, said handpiece comprising a first actuator for advancing the anchor body over the elongate member, a second actuator for moving the locking member from its non-locked position to its locked position and a third actuator for cutting the elongate member.

12. A device usable to anchor an elongate member to tissue of a human or animal subject, said device comprising:

an elongate member;

an anchor body comprising a tube having ends and sides and having a hollow passage through which the elongate member passes, an open proximal end, and a side aperture located on a side of the tube;

wherein the hollow passage extends at least from the open proximal end to the side aperture and the elongate member passes through the side aperture and the elongate member passes only once through the open proximal end of the anchor body;

a locking member that is initially positioned in a non-locked position that allows the anchor body to advance over the elongate member and within the tube, and the locking member subsequently being advanced to a locked position where the locking member engages the elongate member thereby holding the anchor body at a substantially fixed position transverse to the elongate member; and

wherein the anchor body further comprises a locking member engagement surface that engages the locking member after it has been advanced to its locked position and wherein the locking member engagement surface comprises a tab that extends into the hollow channel and wherein a notch is formed in the locking member such that when the locking member is advanced to its locked position the tab will seat in the notch, thereby holding the locking member in its locked position.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein the elongate member is selected from the group consisting of:

connector members, filaments, strands, threads, suture threads, string, wires, semi-rigid members, flexible members, elastic members, non-elastic members, resilient members and plastically deformable members.

14. A device to anchor an elongate member to tissue of a human or animal subject comprising, said anchor comprising:

an elongate member;

an anchor body comprising a tube having ends and sides and having a hollow passage through which the elongate member passes, an open proximal end, and a side aperture located on a side of the tube;

wherein the hollow passage extends at least from the open proximal end to the side aperture and the elongate member passes through the side aperture and the elongate member passes only once through the open proximal end of the anchor body;

a locking member that is initially positioned in a non-locked position that allows the anchor body to advance over the elongate member and within the tube, and the locking member subsequently being advanced to a locked position where the locking member engages the elongate member thereby holding the anchor body at a substantially fixed position transverse to the elongate member; and

wherein the device is used in combination with an introducer that is insertable into the body and useable to advance the anchor body to a desired position on the elongate member, the introducer comprising a handpiece on the proximal end of the introducer, the handpiece comprising a first actuator for advancing the anchor body over the elongate member and a second actuator for moving the locking member from its non-locked position to its locked position, thereby locking the anchor body at the desired location.

15. The device according to claim 14 wherein the elongate member is selected from the group consisting of:

connector members, filaments, strands, threads, suture threads, string, wires, semi-rigid members, flexible members, elastic members, non-elastic members, resilient members and plastically deformable members.

16. A device to anchor an elongate member to tissue of a human or animal subject comprising, said anchor comprising:

an elongate member;

an anchor body comprising a tube having ends and sides and having a hollow passage through which the elongate member passes, an open proximal end, and a side aperture located on a side of the tube;

wherein the hollow passage extends at least from the open proximal end to the side aperture and the elongate member passes through the side aperture and the elongate member passes only once through the open proximal end of the anchor body;

a locking member that is initially positioned in a non-locked position that allows the anchor body to advance over the elongate member and within the tube, and the locking member subsequently being advanced to a locked position where the locking member engages the elongate member thereby holding the anchor body at a substantially fixed position transverse to the elongate member; and

wherein the device is used in combination with an introducer that is insertable into the body and useable to advance the anchor body to a desired position on the elongate member, the introducer comprising a cutter for cutting the elongate member at a site proximal to the anchor body after the anchor body has been advanced to the desired location and a handpiece on the proximal end of the introducer, the handpiece comprising a first actuator for advancing the anchor body over the elongate member, a second actuator for moving the locking member from its non-locked position to its locked position, thereby locking the anchor body at the desired location, and a third actuator for cutting the elongate member.

17. The device according to claim 16 wherein the elongate member is selected from the group consisting of:

connector members, filaments, strands, threads, suture threads, string, wires, semi-rigid members, flexible members, elastic members, non-elastic members, resilient members and plastically deformable members.