TETHER-ANCHOR ASSEMBLIES

• US 20100023056A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: TSURUDA, Marshall, JOHANSSON, Peter K.
• Application Number:
  US12/505,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023056A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• 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 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07221 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Anchors, tethers, knot configurations and other coupling mechanisms used to secure tethers to anchors or other implants are described. The knot configurations described may provide enhanced knot security and/or tensile strength, while also occupying relatively little volume. In some variations, the surfaces of a tether and/or an anchor or other implant may be at least partially coated with one or more agents and/or may be at least partially textured.

Claims

1. A tether-anchor assembly comprising:

a tether comprising multiple filaments and having a distal end and an opening formed between the multiple filaments, wherein at least a portion of the multiple filaments between the distal end and the opening are heat-fused; and

an anchor with an eyelet segment located within the opening of the tether and a penetrating segment configured to penetrate a tissue.

2. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tether further comprises a tether knot enclosing the eyelet segment and the distal end of the tether.

3. A tether-anchor assembly comprising:

a tether comprising a proximal end, a distal end, an elongate body therebetween, and an intrabody opening; and

an anchor with an eyelet segment located within the intrabody opening of the tether and a penetrating segment configured to penetrate a tissue.

4. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether is a multi-filament tether.

5. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 4, wherein the multi-filament tether comprises at least six strands.

6. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 5, wherein at least three strands are located on opposite sides of the intrabody opening.

7. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether is a monofilament tether.

8. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether is heat-treated at least between the distal end and the intrabody opening.

9. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether further comprises a stop region between the distal end and the intrabody opening.

10. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 9, wherein the stop region is a fused stop region.

11. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 4, wherein multiple filaments of the tether are at least partially fused between the distal end and the intrabody opening.

12. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether comprises polyethylene.

13. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tether further comprises a tether knot.

14. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 13, wherein the tether knot encloses a portion of the anchor.

15. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 14, wherein the tether knot encloses a portion of the tether separate from the tether knot.

16. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 15, wherein the tether knot comprises a first loop and a second loop, and wherein the portion of the tether separate from the tether knot is enclosed in the second loop of the tether knot.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein separating at least some filaments of the tether comprises equally separating the filaments between a first bundle and a second bundle.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a difference in the number of filaments in the first bundle and the second bundle are no greater than one filament.

17. A method for making a tether-anchor assembly, comprising:

inserting a multi-filament tether into a protective tube;

heat-treating the multi-filament tether using the protective tube;

separating at least some filaments of the tether; and

passing an anchor through the separated filaments.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a tether knot around the anchor.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a tether knot around a portion of the tether separate from the tether knot.

22. A tether-anchor assembly comprising:

a first anchor comprising a first eyelet region and a first penetrating region configured to penetrate a tissue;

a second anchor comprising a second eyelet region and a second penetrating region configured to penetrate the tissue; and

a tether slidably coupled to the first eyelet region and fixedly coupled to the second eyelet region via a knot assembly comprising a bowline knot.

23. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first or second anchors is configured to self-expand.

24. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the knot assembly further comprises a figure-of-eight knot.

25. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 24, wherein the bowline knot is located between the second eyelet region and the figure-of-eight knot.

26. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 24, wherein the figure-of-eight knot is located between the bowline knot and the second eyelet region.

27. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the tether is made from a biodegradable material.

28. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the tether is made from a non-biodegradable material.

29. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the tether is a monofilament tether.

30. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein the tether is a multifilament tether.

31. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the tether is coated with wax, silicone, silicone rubbers, PTFE, PBA, or ethyl cellulose.

32. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the tether comprises a surface that is textured to enhance the coefficient of friction of the surface.

33. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the tether is coated with one or more agents.

34. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the first anchor is coated with a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, insulin, insulin-like growth factors, estrogens, heparin, or Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor.

35. The tether-anchor assembly of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the second eyelet region comprises a surface that is textured to enhance the coefficient of friction of the surface.

36. A tether-anchor assembly comprising:

a first anchor comprising a first eyelet region and a first penetrating region configured to penetrate a tissue;

a second anchor comprising a second eyelet region and a second penetrating region configured to penetrate the tissue; and

a tether slidably coupled to the first eyelet region and fixedly coupled to the second eyelet region via a knot assembly;

wherein the knot assembly comprises a knot selected from a group consisting of a figure-of-eight knot, an eye splice and a back splice.