Devices and methods for anchoring tissue

• US 20050273138A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Pliam, Nathan B., Starksen, Niel F., To, John, Fabro, Mariel, Im, Karl S.
• Application Number:
  US11/202,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/219
• 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 17/0401 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 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0443 the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus

Abstract

Anchors, anchoring systems, anchor delivery devices, and method of using anchors are described. An anchor may be a flexible anchor having two curved legs that cross in a single turning direction to form a loop, wherein the legs are adapted to penetrate tissue. The ends of the curved legs may be blunt or sharp. The anchor can assume different configurations such as a deployed configuration and a delivery configuration, and the anchor may switch between these different configurations. In operation, the anchor may be inserted into tissue by releasing the anchor from a delivery configuration so that the anchor self-expands into the deployed configuration, so that the legs of the anchor may penetrate the tissue in a curved pathway.

Claims

1. A flexible anchor comprising:

two curved legs crossing in a single turning direction to form a loop;

wherein the legs are adapted to penetrate tissue.

2. The anchor of claim 1 wherein the ends of the curved legs are blunt.

3. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the ends of the curved legs are sharp.

4. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor is made of a shape-memory material.

5. The anchor of claim 4, wherein the anchor comprises Nickel-Titanium Alloy.

6. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor is made of a superelastic material.

7. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor has a delivery configuration in which the legs are collapsed, and a deployed configuration in which the legs are expanded.

8. The anchor of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the greatest spacing between the legs in the delivery configuration to the greatest spacing between the leg ends in the deployed configuration is about 1:

2 to about 1;

20.

9. The anchor of claim 1, wherein, when the anchor is inserted into tissue, the anchor absorbs energy during dynamic loading of the tissue to relieve peak stresses on the tissue.

10. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the elasticity of the anchor matches the elasticity of the tissue into which the anchor is to be inserted.

11. The anchor of claim 1, wherein, when the anchor is deployed in a tissue, the anchor may expand or collapse from the deployed configuration to absorb energy during dynamic loading of the tissue.

12. The anchor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the loop comprises a loop size limiting region that is less flexible than the legs.

13. A flexible anchor for insertion into a tissue having a deployed configuration and comprising two legs crossing in a single turning direction to form a loop, wherein when the anchor is inserted into tissue, the anchor absorbs energy during repetitive loading of the tissue to relieve peak stresses on the tissue by collapsing or expanding from the deployed configuration.

14. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the anchor has a delivery configuration in which the legs are collapsed.

15. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the leg ends of the anchor penetrate tissue in a curved path.

16. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the leg ends of the anchor penetrate tissue in opposing directions that minimize tissue deflection.

17. The anchor of claim 13, wherein, when the leg ends are expanded to deploy the anchor into tissue so that the expansion of the leg ends drives the anchor into the tissue.

18. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the anchor is made of a shape-memory material.

19. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the anchor comprises Nickel-Titanium Alloy.

20. The anchor of claim 14, wherein the ratio of the spacing between the legs in the delivery configuration to the spacing between the legs in the deployed configuration is about 1:

2 to about 1;

20.

21. The anchor of claim 13, wherein the elasticity of the anchor matches the elasticity of the tissue into which the anchor is to be inserted.

22. A flexible anchor comprising:

two curved legs crossing in a single turning direction to form a loop;

wherein the legs are adapted to being penetration of tissue with the legs oriented substantially parallel to the direction of deployment into the tissue.

23. A method of attaching an anchor to tissue comprising:

releasing an anchor having two legs adapted to penetrate tissue, the legs crossing in a single turning direction to form a loop, from a delivery configuration,

wherein the legs are collapsed in the delivery configuration so that releasing the anchor from the delivery configuration deploys the legs through the tissue in a curved path to secure the anchor adjacent to the tissue.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising compressing the anchor into the delivery configuration.