Surgical fastener and means for applying same
First Claim
1. A surgical fastener of plastic-like material comprising:
- a fastener member including a base and at least two spaced substantially parallel prongs extending substantially perpendicularly from the base; and
a retainer member including at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive and retain the free end of a respective one of the prongs, each aperture including (a) cam surface means for contacting the associated prong and causing it to twist about its longitudinal axis as it initially enters the aperture and then allowing the prong to untwist after the prong has penetrated a predetermined distance into the aperture and (b) interlocking surface means for interlockingly engaging the associated prong to prevent withdrawal of the prong from the aperture after the prong has been allowed to untwist by the cam surface means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical fastener of plastic or plastic-like material includes initially separate fastener and retainer members. The fastener member has at least two parallel prongs, each of which fits into a respective one of at least two apertures in the retainer member. The prongs twist as they enter the apertures. Then the prongs return to their initial orientation in which they interlock with the retainer member to form a finished fastener. The fastener is applied by forcing the fastener member prongs through the tissue to be fastened with the aid of metal pins contiguous with each prong. The pins are automatically withdrawn from the tissue after the prongs interlock with the retainer member and before the fastened tissue is removed from the fastener applying apparatus.
1898 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A surgical fastener of plastic-like material comprising:
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a fastener member including a base and at least two spaced substantially parallel prongs extending substantially perpendicularly from the base; and a retainer member including at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive and retain the free end of a respective one of the prongs, each aperture including (a) cam surface means for contacting the associated prong and causing it to twist about its longitudinal axis as it initially enters the aperture and then allowing the prong to untwist after the prong has penetrated a predetermined distance into the aperture and (b) interlocking surface means for interlockingly engaging the associated prong to prevent withdrawal of the prong from the aperture after the prong has been allowed to untwist by the cam surface means. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A surgical fastener of plastic-like material comprising:
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a fastener member including a longitudinal base and at least two spaced mutually parallel prongs extending from the base substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base; and a longitudinal retainer member having at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive and interlockingly engage the free end of a respective one of the prongs to secure the fastener member and the retainer member together, the initial portion of each aperture which the associated prong first enters being too small to pass the free end of the prong in the initial angular orientation of the prong about its longitudinal axis, and the free end of the prong and the initial portion of the aperture having cooperating cam surfaces for causing the free end of the prong to twist about its longitudinal axis to an angular orientation in which it can pass through the initial portion of the aperture, after which the free end of the prong resumes its initial angular orientation and interlocks with the retainer member. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A surgical fastener of plastic-like material comprising:
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a fastener member including a longitudinal base and at least two spaced mutually parallel prongs extending from the base substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base; and a retainer member having at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive the free end of a respective one of the prongs, the free end of each prong being shaped so that it will not pass through an initial portion of the associated aperture in the normal angular orientation of the prong about its longitudinal axis but so that it will pass through the initial portion of the aperture in a second angular orientation which is displaced from the normal angular orientation, the free end of each prong and the associated aperture having cooperating cam surfaces for twisting the prong from the normal angular orientation to the second angular orientation when the prong is forced into the aperture, the free end of the prong then passing through the initial portion of the aperture, returning to its normal angular orientation, and being thereby permanently retained in the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A surgical fastener of plastic-like material comprising:
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a fastener member including a longitudinal base and at least two spaced mutually parallel prongs extending from the base substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base; a retainer member having at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive the free end of a respective one of the prongs; each prong and the associated aperture including mutually interlocking surface portions which when engaged permanently retain the free end of the prong in the aperture; and each prong and the associated aperture including cam surface portions which cooperate with one another when the free end of the prong is introduced into the aperture to initially twist the prong about its longitudinal axis so that the interlocking surface portions bypass one another, after which the cam surfaces disengage, thereby allowing the prong to untwist and causing the interlocking surface portions to engage. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. Apparatus for applying a surgical fastener to body tissue comprising:
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a fastener holding assembly containing at least one fastener member including a longitudinal base and at least two spaced substantially parallel prongs extending from the base perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base; a retainer support member removably containing at least one retainer member including at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive and retain the free end of a respective one of the prongs; pusher means associated with the fastener holding assembly for pushing the fastener member from the fastener holding assembly so that the prongs pass through body tissue disposed between the fastener holding assembly and the retainer support member and so that the free ends of the prongs enter and are retained by the retainer member apertures to fasten the tissue, the pusher means including a metal pin substantially parallel to and contiguous with each prong, each pin extending beyond the free end of the associated prong and traveling with the prong during the pushing of the fastener member to facilitate the passage of the associated prong through the tissue; and means associated with the fastener member holding assembly for automatically retracting the pins into the fastener holding assembly when the fastener holding assembly is moved away from the fastened tissue. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for applying a surgical fastener to body tissue comprising:
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a fastener holding assembly containing at least one fastener member including a longitudinal base and at least two spaced substantially parallel prongs extending from the base perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base; a retainer support member removably containing at least one retainer member including at least two apertures, each aperture being adapted to receive and retain the free end of a respective one of the prongs, each aperture causing the associated prong to twist about its longitudinal axis as it initially enters the aperture and then allowing the prong to untwist to interlock with the aperture; pusher means associated with the fastener holding assembly for pushing the fastener member from the fastener holding assembly so that the prongs pass through body tissue disposed between the fastener holding assembly and the retainer support member and so that the free ends of the prongs enter and interlock with the retainer member apertures to fasten the tissue, the pusher means including a metal pin substantially parallel to and contiguous with each prong, each pin extending beyond the free end of the associated prong and traveling with the prong during the pushing of the fastener member to facilitate the passage of the associated prong through the tissue, the pins permitting twisting of the prongs as is required to interlock the fastener member and the retainer member, and the pins being retractable from the fastener member after the fastener member and retainer member interlock. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification