Surgical device for connecting soft tissue

• US 20020183766A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evalve, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Evalve, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Seguin, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 6,770,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/139
• 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 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/10 for applying or removing wound clamps, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068; Wound clamp magazines containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00, B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• 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 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1103 Approximator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/037 with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

The invention comprises a surgical instrument including an external tube (2) and two elongated members (4) positioned in said tube (2), each of which includes a distal end (10a) for capturing one of the two tissue zones (M1, M2) to be attached. The instrument (1) may further comprise a catching member (22, 25) for each tissue (M1, M2) to be attached; a rod (15, 16) linked to each catching member (22, 25) enabling tension to move axially, said rod (15, 16) being separable from said catching member (22, 25) when a tension is exerted on it beyond a certain threshold; and a member (17a) forming a stop for locking axially each catching member (22, 25) during said tension.

Claims

1. A system for performing cardiac valve repair, said system comprising:

an external tube suitable for introducing through a patient'"'"'s vasculature and into a chamber of a heart, said tube having a central lumen and a distal opening; and

a pair of elongate elements extensible from the distal opening of the tube, wherein each element is adapted to capture a leaflet of the valve.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the elongate elements are spring-biased to diverge outwardly when advanced distally relative to the external tube.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein each elongate element has a distal extremity adapted to capture a valve leaflet.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein the distal extremity of each elongate element as a harpoon-like tip.

5. A system as in claim 3, wherein the distal extremity of each elongate element as a vacuum-applying tip.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein the elongate elements are further adapted to draw the leaflets together after they are captured.

7. A system as in claim 6, further comprising apparatus which attaches the leaflets together when said leaflets are drawn together by the elongate elements.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the apparatus which attaches the leaflets together comprises a clip-applying apparatus.

9. A system for performing cardiac valve repair, said system comprising:

an external tube suitable for introducing through a patient'"'"'s vasculature and into a chamber of a heart; and

a clipping system including a first element adapted to be brought up beneath a pair of valve leaflets and a second element adapted to be brought down over the valve leaflets, wherein the leaflets are captured between the first and second elements and wherein the first and second elements may be left to clip free edges of the leaflets together.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein the first and second elements are disks.

11. A system as in claim 10, wherein at least one of the disks includes prongs projecting toward the other disk.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the prongs penetrate leaflets held between the disks.

13. A system as in claim 9, further comprising a pair of elongate elements extensible from a distal end of the external tube, wherein each element is adapted to capture a valve leaflet.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein the elongate elements are spring-biased to diverge outwardly when advanced distally relative to the external tube.

15. A system as in claim 13, wherein each elongate element has a distal extremity adapted to capture a valve leaflet.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the distal extremity of each elongate element has a harpoon-like tip.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein the distal extremity of each elongate element as a vacuum-applying tip.

18. A system as in claim 13, wherein the elongate elements are further adapted to draw the leaflets together after they are captured.