Microanchors for anchoring devices to body tissues

• US 10,226,270 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Warner, Clifford P., Eskaros, Sherif A., Mazich, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): David, Shaun
• Application Number:
  US13/961,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 606151, 606219, 623 113, 623 136
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0645 being elastically deformed for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/045 Stomach, intestines
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes

Abstract

Tissue anchoring devices in the form of microanchors that partially penetrate tissue, thereby avoiding full thickness penetration of the tissue, yet are secure enough to enable reliable device fixation and easy removal of the device while maintaining normal GI tract functions.

Claims

1. A microanchor comprising:

a. a first tissue engagement member having a first end;

b. a second tissue engagement member having a second end; and

c. a coil spring joining said first tissue engagement member to said second tissue engagement member, wherein the coil spring is adapted to absorb external forces by stretching or deforming;

wherein said device has a retracted state and an engaged state, said first tissue engagement member and said second tissue engagement member forming a pincer in said engaged state,

wherein said first and second tissue engagement members in said engaged state are configured to penetrate only the sub-mucosa of tissue,

wherein the first tissue engagement member and the second tissue engagement member have a shape that is curved in the opposite direction to the winding direction of the coil spring;

wherein the first and second tissue engagement members are wound against tension in the coil spring such that the first end of the first tissue engagement member and the second end of the second tissue engagement member are in proximity to each other in the retracted state;

wherein the first end of the first tissue engagement member and the second end of the second tissue engagement member point in opposing directions in the retracted state;

wherein force of the coil spring is stored as potential energy in said retracted state; and

wherein the first and second tissue engagement members each form an S-shaped curve with the coil spring.

2. The microanchor of claim 1 wherein said connector is elastic such that said device is reversibly deformable between said retracted state and said engaged state, and such that in said engaged state said first tissue engagement member and said second tissue engagement member are under tension.

3. The microanchor of claim 1 wherein said microanchor comprises stainless steel.

4. The microanchor of claim 1 wherein said microanchor comprises nitinol.

5. The microanchor of claim 1 further comprising a release line constraining said first and second tissue engagement members in said retracted state.

6. The microanchor of claim 1, wherein said first and second tissue engagement members in said engaged state are configured to penetrate tissue less than about 1 mm.