SYNTHETIC CHORD

• US 20100179574A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Somers Living Trust
• Original Assignee: Lc Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wolff, Christopher, Delgiorno, Junior, Longoria, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/151
• 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 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0427 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2457 Chordae tendineae prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2463 Implants forming part of the valve leaflets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0064 Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes

Abstract

Synthetic chord devices and methods for using the same for connecting tissues are provided. Aspects of the synthetic chord device include a flexible cord having an attachment element at both a first and a second end, wherein each attachment element includes a piercing member coupled to a securing member that attaches the flexible cord to a first tissue. At least a portion of the flexible cord can be configured to be secured to a second tissue. Aspects of the invention also include sets of the synthetic chord device with pre-measured flexible cords. The devices and methods of the invention find use in a variety of applications, such as in applications in which it is desired to repair a heart valve.

Claims

1. A synthetic chord device comprising:

(a) a flexible cord having a first end and a second end;

(b) a first attachment element at said first end of said cord configured to attach said cord to a first location at a first tissue;

(c) a second attachment element at a second end of said cord configured to attach said cord to a second location at said first tissue;

wherein said first and second attachment elements each comprise a piercing member and a securing member and at least a portion of said cord between said first end and said second end is configured to be secured to a second tissue.

2. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible cord has a length ranging from 16 mm to 48 mm.

3. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said securing member of each of said first and second attachment elements is a self-closing fastener.

4. The synthetic chord device according to claim 3, wherein said securing member of each of said first and second attachment elements comprises a shape memory material.

5. The synthetic chord device according to claim 4, wherein said shape memory material comprises a nickel titanium alloy.

6. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said cord comprises a polymer.

7. The synthetic chord device according to claim 6, wherein said cord comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE).

8. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said tissue is cardiac tissue, selected from the group consisting of a papillary muscle and a ventricular wall.

9. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said portion of said cord configured to be secured to said tissue comprises a reinforcing element.

10. The synthetic chord device according to claim 9, wherein said reinforcing element is a pledget.

11. The synthetic chord device according to claim 1, wherein said piercing member of each of said first and second attachment elements comprises a needle.

12. A method for connecting tissue comprising:

(a) securing a flexible cord having a first end and a second end to a first tissue;

(b) attaching said first end to a second tissue with a first attachment element;

(c) attaching said second end to said second tissue with a second attachment element;

wherein said first and second attachment elements each comprise a piercing member and a securing member and said attaching of said first and second ends comprises removing said piercing element from each of said first and second attachment elements.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

(a) determining a desired length of said flexible cord by measuring a desired distance between said first tissue and said second tissue; and

(b) selecting a synthetic chord device having a flexible cord with said desired length from a set of two or more synthetic chord devices.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said flexible cord has a length ranging from 16 mm to 48 mm.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said securing member is a self-closing fastener.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said self-closing fastener comprises a shape memory material.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said shape memory material comprises a nickel titanium alloy.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein said cord comprises a polymer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said flexible cord comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE).

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the portion of said cord configured be secured to said first tissue comprises a reinforcing element.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein said piercing member is a needle.

21. The method according to claim 21, wherein said reinforcing element is a pledget.

23. A method for treating a prolapsed cardiac valve leaflet, said method comprising:

(a) securing a flexible cord having a first end and a second end to cardiac tissue located below a cardiac valve leaflet;

(b) attaching said first end to said cardiac valve leaflet with a first attachment element;

(c) attaching said second end to said cardiac valve leaflet with a second attachment element;

wherein said first and second attachment elements each comprise a piercing member and a securing member and said attaching of said first and second ends comprises removing said piercing element from each of said first and second attachment elements.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

(a) determining a desired length of said flexible cord by measuring a distance between a prolapsed cardiac valve leaflet and cardiac tissue located below said prolapsed cardiac valve leaflet; and

(b) selecting a synthetic chord device having a flexible cord with said desired length from a set of two or more synthetic chord devices.

25-42. -42. (canceled)