Extremely long wire fasteners for use in minimally invasive surgery and means and methods for handling those fasteners
First Claim
1. ) A fastener for use in surgery comprising:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wire fasteners having legs with lengths that can be one hundred times the width of the fastener are used to secure items, such as prosthesis valves to a patient during minimally invasive surgery. The fasteners are manipulated into position and then are immobilized by means of the legs thereof for tensioning, cutting and forming in situ. The fasteners are manipulated, tensioned and formed from the leg end of the fasteners. Tools for initially placing the fasteners and for immobilizing, tensioning, cutting and bending the fastener legs are disclosed. Once the fasteners are initially placed, the prosthesis is placed on the long legs of the placed fasteners and is guided into position on the legs. Once the prosthesis is in position, the legs of the fasteners are immobilized, tensioned, cut and bent into staple-like shapes to secure the prosthesis to the patient. A method for carrying out the procedure using the long fastener is also disclosed. Using the teaching of the present disclosure, a surgeon can customize a fastener to the particular surgery or even to the particular portion of surgery being performed during the surgery.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. ) A fastener for use in surgery comprising:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length.
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
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2. ) A fastener for use in surgery comprising:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base toward said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length.
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
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3. ) A fastener for use in surgery comprising:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a pointed end and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate.
- View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. ) A wire fastener for use in minimally invasive surgery comprising:
- a U-shaped body having a base and two legs extending from said crown;
said body having a width dimension measured from one leg to the other;
each leg having a pointed end and a length dimension measured from said base to the pointed end thereof;
the length dimension of each leg being greater than said width dimension by a factor of five or more. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
- a U-shaped body having a base and two legs extending from said crown;
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6. ) A fastener for use in minimally invasive surgery comprising:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
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21. ) A method of placing a fastener in a patient during surgery comprising:
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providing a fastener for use in surgery having a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a pointed end and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate;
locating the fastener inside a patient on one side of a tissue being operated on;
driving a pointed end of the fastener through the tissue;
grasping the leg after the leg has penetrated the tissue;
tensioning the leg and moving the base of the fastener against the tissue;
immobilizing the leg on the other side of the tissue;
engaging the end of the immobilized leg; and
bending the leg to force the end back towards the base of the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. ) A method of placing a fastener in a patient during surgery comprising:
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providing a fastener for use in surgery having a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a point on one end thereof and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate;
locating the fastener inside a patient on one side of a tissue being operated on;
driving a pointed end of the fastener through the tissue;
engaging the fastener only at the leg after the leg has penetrated the tissue;
tensioning the engaged leg and moving the fastener until the base of the fastener moves against the tissue;
engaging the end of the immobilized leg; and
bending the leg to force the end back towards the base of the fastener.
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25. ) A method of placing a fastener in a patient during surgery comprising:
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providing a fastener for use in surgery having a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a point on one end thereof and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate;
locating the fastener inside a patient on one side of a tissue being operated on;
driving a pointed end of the fastener through the tissue;
using only the leg of the fastener, moving the fastener into position and forming the fastener.
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26. ) A method of placing a fastener in a patient during minimally invasive surgery comprising:
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providing a fastener having a body with a formable portion and having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length;
locating the fastener inside a patient on one side of a tissue being operated on;
driving the pointed end through the tissue;
grasping the leg after the leg has penetrated the tissue;
tensioning the leg and moving the base of the fastener against the tissue;
immobilizing the leg on the other side of the tissue;
cutting the leg to form the end;
engaging the end of the immobilized leg; and
bending the leg to force the end back towards the base of the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. ) A tool for use in placing a fastener during surgery comprising:
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a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said tool;
a track on the body of the tool for slidably holding said fastener on the body of said tool;
means for forcing the fastener along the body of the tool toward tissue being penetrated;
means for guiding the pointed end of said fastener through a patient'"'"'s tissue;
means for grasping the pointed end after the pointed end have exited the tissue; and
means for drawing the base of the fastener against the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. ) In combination with a fastener for use in surgery which comprises:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a pointed end and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate, a tool comprising;
a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said tool;
a track on the body of the tool for slidably holding said fastener on the body of said tool;
means for forcing the fastener along the body of the tool toward tissue being penetrated;
means for guiding the pointed end of said fastener through a patient'"'"'s tissue;
means for grasping the pointed end after the pointed end have exited the tissue; and
means for drawing the base of the fastener against the tissue.
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base, said leg having a pointed end and a length measured from said base, said length being indeterminate, a tool comprising;
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38. ) In combination with a fastener for use in minimally invasive surgery which comprises:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length, said tool comprising;
a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said tool;
a track on the body of the tool for slidably holding said fastener on said body;
means for forcing the fastener along the body of the tool toward tissue being penetrated;
means for guiding the pointed end of said fastener through a patient'"'"'s tissue;
means for grasping the pointed end after the pointed end have exited the tissue; and
means for drawing the fastener leg out of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
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46. ) A termination tool for use in placing a fastener during surgery comprising:
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a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said termination tool;
means on the body of the termination tool for immobilizing the fastener;
means on the body of the termination tool for cutting the leg of said fastener; and
means on the body of said termination tool for bending the cut leg toward the base of the fastener.
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47. ) A termination tool for use in placing a fastener during surgery, the fastener having a leg of indeterminate length and being forced through tissue during surgery, the termination tool comprising:
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a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said termination tool;
means on the body of the termination tool for engaging only the leg of the fastener after the leg has been forced through the tissue and immobilizing the fastener and defining an end of the leg and bending the leg into a retaining position, said means engaging the leg of the fastener on the side of the tissue opposite to the base of the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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48. ) In combination with a fastener for use in minimally invasive surgery which comprises:
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
said body having a width dimension;
said leg having a pointed end, an unformed length dimension measured from said base to said pointed end, and a formed length dimension measured between said base and an end, with the end located between the pointed end and said base and being defined by cutting the leg; and
the unformed length being greater than the formed length, a termination tool comprising;
a body;
a handle on one end of the body of said termination tool;
means on the body of the termination tool for immobilizing the fastener;
means on the body of the termination tool for cutting the leg of said fastener; and
means on the body of said termination tool for bending the cut leg toward the base of the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
- a body having a base and a leg extending from said base;
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58. ) The tool defined in claim 59 wherein said first and second elements are shaped to increase grasping force on the leg as the first and second elements are moved closer to each other.
Specification