Systems and methods for applying a suture within a blood vessel lumen

• US 20050015100A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aptus Endosystems Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Parodi, Juan C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,544,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0649 Coils or spirals
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching

Abstract

Systems and methods apply a suture within a blood vessel lumen. The systems and methods advance within a blood vessel lumen a catheter tube having a distal region that carries a suture applicator. The systems and methods operate the suture applicator from a location external to the blood vessel lumen to apply a suture to an interior wall of a blood vessel lumen.

Claims

1. An endovascular suture assembly comprising

a tubular body defining a passage and having a distal region sized to be advanced within a blood vessel lumen occupied by a prosthesis, the distal region including a segment that is sized and configured to be moved into selective contact with the prosthesis in the blood vessel lumen,

a suture applicator removably insertable through the passage, the suture applicator including a rotary head movable independent of and relative to the segment into selective association with the prosthesis in the blood vessel lumen, and a drive assembly for rotating the rotary head,

a spiral suture carried by the rotary head, the spiral suture being sized and configured for advancement into tissue in the blood vessel lumen in response to rotation of the rotary head.

2. An assembly according to claim 1

wherein the segment comprises an expandable body.

3. An assembly according to claim 2

further including a mechanism coupled to the expandable body to selectively expand the expandable body toward an opened condition within a blood vessel lumen and to selectively collapse the expandable body toward a closed condition for advancement with the distal region within a blood vessel lumen.

4. An assembly according to claim 1

further including a mechanism coupled to the suture applicator to selectively move the rotary head relative to the segment.

5. A method for suturing within a blood vessel lumen comprising the steps of

providing an endovascular suture assembly as defined in claim 1,

advancing within a blood vessel lumen the distal region of the tubular body

placing the segment into selective engagement with a prosthesis that occupies the blood vessel lumen,

inserting the suture applicator through the passage of the tubular body,

moving the rotary head independent of and relative to the segment into selective association with the prosthesis in the blood vessel lumen, and

operating the suture applicator from a location external to the blood vessel lumen to rotate the rotary head and apply the spiral suture to the prosthesis in the blood vessel lumen.

6. A method according to claim 5

wherein placing the segment into selective engagement with the prosthesis applies a stabilizing force during operation of the suture applicator.