SUTURE ANCHORING DEVICES AND METHODS FOR USE

• US 20130268001A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences III LLC
• Original Assignee: NeoTract, Inc. (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Catanese, Joseph III, Cheng, Floria, Merrick, Daniel, Tong, Ling-Kang, Gearhart, Michael, McLean, Matthew, Niederjohn, James, Tachibana, Brian Y., Thompson, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,364,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/232
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, 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 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00274 Prostate operation, e.g. prostatectomy, turp, bhp treatment
• 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 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate

Abstract

A system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. An implant for attachment of soft tissue to bone, an insertion tool for anchoring suture anchors to bone, and a method for anchoring a suture anchor to bone.

Claims

1. A suture anchor comprising:

a distal portion configured to penetrate tissue;

a proximal portion comprising a wing; and

a body portion having a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the second configuration increases the cross-sectional area of the suture anchor as compared to the first configuration.

2. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises a telescoping portion.

3. The suture anchor of claim 2 wherein the telescoping portion comprises a mechanism for longitudinally translating the proximal portion with respect to the distal portion.

4. The suture anchor of claim 2 further comprising a locking mechanism.

5. The suture anchor of claim 2 further comprising a spring biasing mechanism.

6. The suture anchor of claim 2 wherein the telescoping portion comprises a pivoting mechanism.

7. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of nested segments configured to separate.

8. The suture anchor of claim 7 wherein more than one of the plurality of nested segments includes a wing.

9. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises an expanding element configured to expand in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the suture anchor.

10. The suture anchor of claim 1 wherein the expanding element comprises flexible segments configured to flex in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the suture anchor.

11. A method of anchoring a suture in tissue, comprising:

providing a suture connected to a suture anchor, the suture anchor comprising a inserting portion, a positioning portion, and a body portion, wherein the body portion has a first configuration and a second configuration;

penetrating tissue in a penetrating direction with the inserting portion; and

tensioning the suture wherein the tensioning induces the positioning portion to orient the suture anchor transverse to the penetrating direction and wherein the tensioning induces the body portion to assume a configuration that increases the effective volume of the suture anchor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the tensioning induces the body portion to telescope outwardly to increase the effective volume of the suture anchor.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the tensioning induces the body portion to pivot to increase the effective volume of the suture anchor.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the tensioning induces the body portion to separate from a configuration of nested segments to a configuration of separated segments to increase the effective volume of the suture anchor.

15. The method of claim 11 where the tensioning induces the body portion to expand in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the suture anchor to increase the cross-sectional area of the suture anchor.

16. A method of treating a prostate, comprising:

providing a suture connected to a suture anchor, the suture anchor comprising a inserting portion, a positioning portion, and a body portion, wherein the body portion has a first configuration and a second configuration;

penetrating prostatic tissue in a penetrating direction with the inserting portion; and

tensioning the suture wherein the tensioning induces the positioning portion to orient the suture anchor transverse to the penetrating direction and wherein the tensioning induces the body portion to assume a configuration that increases the effective volume of the suture anchor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the penetrating step comprises penetrating the prostatic capsule.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing suture connected to a plurality of suture anchors.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the penetrating step comprises penetrating the prostatic capsule with one or more of the suture anchors.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising positioning a portion of the suture along a portion of the urethral side of the prostate.