Method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart

• US 20010039435A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EV3 Sunnyvale Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lesh, Michael D., Roue, Chad C., van der Burg, Erik J., Frazier, Andrew G.C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,712,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/216
• 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 17/0057 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 17/0401 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 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12122 within the heart for closing a cardiac septal defect A61B17/0057
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00579 Barbed implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00632 Occluding a cavity, i.e. closing a blind opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00668 the implement being a tack or a staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 : Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 : for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 : Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 : with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 : for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 : Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0645 : being elastically deformed for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 : having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 : Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 : Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2487 : Devices within the heart chamber, e.g. splints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure catheter, for closing a tissue opening such as an atrial septal defect, patent foreman ovale, or the left atrial appendage of the heart. The closure catheter carries a plurality of tissue anchors, which may be deployed into tissue surrounding the opening, and used to draw the opening closed. Methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart, comprising the steps of:

providing a catheter having at least four tissue anchors thereon, the tissue anchors each having a suture secured thereto;

advancing the catheter to the opening in the wall of the heart;

inclining the anchors outwardly from the axis of the catheter to aim the anchors at tissue surrounding the opening;

deploying the anchors into tissue surrounding the opening; and

manipulating the anchors to reduce the size of the opening.

2. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 1

, wherein the deploying the anchors step comprises deploying the anchors in a proximal direction.

3. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 1

, wherein the deploying the anchors step comprises deploying the anchors in a distal direction.

4. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 1

, wherein at least some of the tissue anchors have a suture slideably attached thereto.

5. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 4

, wherein the manipulating the anchors step comprises proximally retracting at least one suture to draw the opening closed.

6. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 5

, further comprising the step of deploying a clamp to hold the opening closed.

7. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 6

, wherein the deploying a clamp step comprises deploying an elastic band.

8. A method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart as in

claim 6

, wherein the deploying a clamp step comprises deploying a metal clamp.