SLING ANCHOR SYSTEM

• US 20090221868A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Evans, Douglas G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• 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 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/061 hollow or tubular suture extending inside a hollow needle A61B2017/06052; hollow sutures A61B2017/06185
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3071 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0087 colour-coded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00359 Bone or bony tissue

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to surgical articles useful for implanting support members in patients. The articles disclosed herein include a support member, such as a sling for urinary incontinence, tissue anchors, filamentary elements for associating the support member with the anchors, and introducer needles for placing the anchors in a patient. The support members can also be configured for use in pelvic floor repair, such as for treating cystoceles, rectoceles, and enteroceles.

Claims

1. An implantable system comprising:

at least two tissue anchors;

at least two filamentary elements adapted to be associated with the at least two tissue anchors; and

a support member comprising at least two connectors,

wherein the at least two connectors are adapted to associate the support member with the at least two filamentary elements, and

wherein at least one of the at least two connectors is adapted to adjustably and releasably fix a filamentary element.

2. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the support member comprises mesh.

3. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a biological material.

4. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the support member has a first end, a second end, and a support portion, and wherein each of the two ends terminates in one of the at least two connectors.

5. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary element has a first end and a second end, and the first end is permanently attached to one of the at least two connectors.

6. The implantable article according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two connectors comprises at least one perforation for receiving an end of a filamentary element.

7. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two anchors is configured to receive an end of a filamentary element.

8. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein said support member is configured to form a loop under the urethra.

9. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein said system is configured to treat at least one of a cystocele and a rectocele.

10. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary elements are chosen from mesh, biological material, and suture.

11. A method for providing support for a female urethra, comprising:

(a) creating an incision in the anterior vaginal wall just below the urethral meatus;

(b) advancing an introducer needle through the incision and towards the direction of one of the two obturator foramen, wherein the introducer needle has a tissue anchor connected to its distal end; and

(c) releasing the anchor from the introducer needle, wherein the anchor is connected to a support member via a filamentary element.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising repeating (b) and (c) on the contralateral side so that at least a portion of the support member is disposed beneath the urethra.

13. The method according to claim 12;

wherein the implantable article comprises at least two connectors, and wherein the at least two connectors are adapted to adjustably and releasably fix a filamentary elements

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising adjusting the length of the filamentary element to provide sufficient support to the female urethra.

15. The method according to Clam 14, wherein each of the at least two connectors comprise at least one perforation adapted to receive an end of a filamentary element.

16. A kit for providing support to a female urethra, comprising:

at least one introducer needle;

at least two soft tissue anchors adapted to be connected to the at least one introducer needle; and

at least one implantable article comprising a support portion,

wherein the implantable article comprises at least two connectors, each of which has at least one filamentary element attached thereto, and wherein the at least two connectors each contain at least one perforation for adjustably and releasably fixing a filamentary element.

17. The kit according to claim 16, wherein said kit comprises four soft tissue anchors.

18. The kit according to claim 16, wherein said kit comprises two introducer needles.

19. The kit according to claim 16, further comprising a biological material.

20. The kit according to claim 16, wherein said biological material is acellular porcine dermal collagen.