Suturing devices and methods for suturing an anatomic valve

• US 10,624,629 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartstitch, Inc
• Original Assignee: Heartstitch, Inc
• Inventors: Nobles, Anthony A., Brosch, Benjamin G., Cohn, William Ettlinger
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyson, Melanie R
• Application Number:
  US15/594,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• 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 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06004 Means for attaching suture to needle tipping A61B17/06195; connecting wire to other metallic objects B21F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00663 the implement being a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/047 having at least one proximally pointing needle located at the distal end of the instrument, e.g. for suturing trocar puncture wounds starting from inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06085 having a blunt tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/061 hollow or tubular

Abstract

Suturing apparatuses configured to suture biological tissue, such as an anatomical valve. The suturing apparatuses can comprise an elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, one or more arms, and one or more needles. A protective member may be used to inhibit contact between a distal end of a needle and surrounding tissue. Methods for suturing bodily tissue such as an anatomical valve may be performed with the suturing apparatuses. The suturing apparatuses may be used to suture adjacent valve leaflets or the base of a valve in order to treat or repair the valve.

Claims

1. A suturing device, comprising:

an elongate member comprising a distal end;

at least two arms connected with the elongate member near the distal end, each of the at least two arms configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, each arm comprising at least one suture mount located near a free end of the arm and configured to releasably retain a suture portion, wherein the free ends of the at least two arms in their extended positions are spaced apart from each other;

at least two needles connected with the elongate body and positioned proximal to the at least two arms, each of the needles configured to move between a retracted position and a deployed position to retrieve the suture portion retained in the at least one suture mount of one of the at least two arms when the needle is moved from the retracted position to the deployed position and returned to the retracted position; and

at least two protective members, each protective member configured to inhibit contact between a distal end of one of the at least two needles and surrounding tissue during at least a portion of the movement of the needle from its retracted position toward its deployed position, wherein each protective member is configured to house one needle and move between a retracted position and a deployed position, wherein moving the protective member from its retracted position to its deployed position aligns the protective member with one of the deployed free ends of one of the at least two arms.

2. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two protective members points distally and at an angle with respect to the elongate member when in its deployed position.

3. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein each protective member is configured to move between its retracted position and its deployed position before the needle housed within the protective member is deployed.

4. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein each protective member is configured to move between its retracted position and its deployed position while the needle housed within the protective member is deployed.

5. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two arms extend at an angle of approximately 90 degrees with respect to the elongate member when the arms are extended.

6. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the two or more needles are deployed sequentially.

7. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the two or more needles are deployed simultaneously.

8. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two protective members extend at an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to the elongate member when the at least two protective members are in the deployed position.

9. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two protective members extend at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the elongate member when the at least two protective members are in the deployed position.

10. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two arms extend at approximately 90 degrees from each other when the arms are extended.

11. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the elongate member comprises an opening to a guidewire lumen through which a guidewire is configured to pass.

12. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein when each protective member aligns with the one of the deployed free ends of one of the at least two arms, the protective member is configured to extend distally and pinch a valve between the one of the at least two arms and the protective member.

13. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein when each protective member moves from the retracted position to the deployed position, the protective member moves both radially away from the elongate body and distally toward a distal end of the elongate member.

14. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein when each protective member moves from the retracted position to the deployed position, the protective member is configured to rotate about the elongate member.

15. The suturing device of claim 1, wherein each protective member comprises two needle lumens.