Prosthesis fixturing device and methods of using the same

• US 20050043760A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Drews, Michael J., Lane, Ernest, Guiterrez, Federico, Holmgren, Neil, Fogarty, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/224
• 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 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2415 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30545 for adjusting a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/001 for adjusting a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A biologically implantable prosthesis is disclosed. The prosthesis can have a circumferentially expandable wall and elements that prevent the wall from collapsing once the wall is expanded. Methods of making and using the prosthesis are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A fixturing assembly comprising:

a needle comprising a needle body and a needle first end and a needle second end,

said needle second end comprising a can, and

a fixturing device comprising a fixturing device first end, a fixturing device second end, wherein at least a portion of the fixturing device first end is held by the can and removable from the can.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the needle comprises a curved portion.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the needle second end is directly attached to the can.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the needle second end is formed as the can.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixturing device second end comprises an interference fit piece.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the interference fit piece comprises a pledget.

7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the interference fit piece comprises a ball.

8. The assembly of claim 7, further comprising a pledget retained by the ball.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixturing device first end comprises a radially expandable portion.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the radially expandable portion expands when the fixturing device first end is removed from the can.

21. A method of fixturing a first mass and a second mass, the method comprising:

moving the fixation assembly of claim 1 through the first mass and the second mass, and

deploying the fixturing device from the can such that the fixturing device fixtures the first mass and the second mass.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the fixturing device is frictionally engaged by the can.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein deploying further comprises slideably releasing the fixturing device from the can.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the fixturing device further comprises an interference fit piece, and the method further comprises catching the interference fit piece on the first mass.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the fixturing device first end comprises an expandable portion, and wherein deploying further comprises expanding the expandable portion when the fixturing device first end deploys from the can.

26. A method of fixturing a first mass and a second mass, the method comprising:

moving the fixation assembly of claim 8 through the first mass and the second mass, and

deploying the fixturing device from the can such that the fixturing device fixtures the first mass and the second mass.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the fixturing device is frictionally engaged by the can.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein deploying further comprises slideably releasing the fixturing device from the can.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the fixturing device further comprises an interference fit piece, and the method further comprises catching the interference fit piece on the first mass.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the fixturing device first end comprises an expandable portion, and wherein deploying further comprises expanding the expandable portion when the fixturing device first end deploys from the can.

11. A fixturing assembly comprising:

a needle comprising a needle second end,

a can comprising a can first end,

a line comprising a line first end and a line second end, wherein the line first end is attached to the needle second end and wherein the line second end is attached to the can first end, and

a fixturing device comprising a fixturing device first end and a fixturing device second end, wherein at least a portion of the fixturing device first end is frictionally engaged by and removable from the can.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the line is a suture.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the can comprises a flexible section.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the flexible section comprises a coil.

15. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising an interference fit piece attached to the fixturing device second end.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the interference fit piece comprises a pledget.

17. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the interference fit piece comprises a ball.

18. The assembly of claim 17, further comprising a pledget retained by the ball.

19. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the fixturing device first end comprises a radially expandable portion.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the radially expandable portion expands when the fixturing device first end is removed from the can.