Tack and applicator for treating torn bodily material in vivo

• US 4,884,572 A
• Filed: 05/16/1988
• Issued: 12/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Concept, Inc. (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company)
• Inventors: Bays, F. Barry, Marchand, Sam R., Trott, Arthur F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/194,091
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334 R, 128/335, 128/330, 411/510, 227/147, 227/19, 227/31, 227/35, 30/164.5, 81/177.1, 81/124.2, 81/176.1, 7/158
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0646 for insertion into cartillege, e.g. meniscus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/48 for special purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/5091 for operating on wing nuts, hooks, eye hooks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 15/06 with barbs, e.g. for metal parts; Drive screws

Abstract

An apparatus for repairing in vivo torn cartilaginous or other bodily tissue, particularly torn meniscus tissue during arthroscopic surgery, employs a repair tack of biodegradable material chosen to have a degradation time in excess of the required healing time for the tissue. The repair tack has a shaft portion with a longitudinal bore and a grip portion adapted for releasable engagement by a hollow applicator. In one embodiment the grip portion of the tack is a cross bar, at the proximal end of the shaft, which fits into an open-sided slot at the forward end of the applicator. A needle passes through the hollow applicator and tack bore to project from the distal end of the tack shaft.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating torn bodily material in vivo comprising:

an applicator having a forward end, a rearward end and an applicator bore therein;

a tack member formed entirely of biodegradable material and having a proximal end, a distal end, a shaft portion and a grip portion, said grip portion being disposed at said proximal end, said shaft portion extending from said [cross bar] grip portion to said distal end and constituting most of the length of said tack member, said shaft portion having at least one barb member projecting radially therefrom and tapered to facilitate insertion of said shaft portion longitudinally into said bodily material in a first direction extending from said proximal end toward said distal end and to restrict movement of said shaft portion through said bodily material in a second direction opposite said first direction, said tack member having a tack bore defined longitudinally therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end;

retainer means for releasably engaging said grip portion of said tack member at said forward end of said applicator to preclude axial displacement between said applicator and said tack member, said tack member being engaged in an orientation wherein said tack bore is axially aligned with said applicator bore; and

an insertion needle slidably extending [entirely] through said applicator bore and said tack bore and having a sharp-pointed insertion end projecting forwardly beyond the distal end of said tack member;

whereby, upon insertion of said insertion needle and said tack member through torn parts of said bodily material, followed by retraction of said needle into said applicator bore and out of said tack bore, and further followed by disengagement of said grip portion of said tack member by said retainer means, said tack member is prevented from retracting by said barb member and remains inserted through said torn parts of bodily material to dissolve after said torn parts heal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said barb member has a rear surface facing said proximal end and disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of said shaft.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said barb members disposed in successive longitudinal positions along said shaft.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said barb members each have a frusto-conical configuration.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said barb members each have a truncated pyramidal configuration.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said grip portion includes a cross bar extending perpendicular to said shaft at said proximal end.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said cross bar has a predetermined peripheral configuration and wherein said retainer means comprises an open-sided transversely-extending slot for receiving said cross bar, said slot having ann interior surface contoured to abut and match said predetermined configuration.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said cross bar is generally a polyhedron elongated in a direction extending transversely of said shaft, and wherein said interior surface of said slot is multi-sided to match a portion of said polyhedron.

9. The tack according to claim 1 wherein the tack in its entirely is an integrally-molded plastic unit.

10. In combination with a tack for holding severed bodily tissue to permit healing in vivo including a shaft having flange-like end, a distal end, a bore extending longitudinally therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end and a plurality of tapered barb members disposed in successive longitudinal positions along said shaft intermediate said proximal and distal ends and configured to facilitate insertion of said shaft longitudinally into the bodily tissue in a first direction extending from said proximal end toward said distal end and to restrict movement of said shaft in a second direction opposite said first direction through the bodily tissue, the entirety of said tack being made of a biodegradable material having a degradation time selected to be at least as long as the required healing time for the bodily tissue

an applicator having a hollow interior, a forward end and a rearward end;

retainer means disposed at said forward end of said applicator for engaging said tack to prevent axial displacement between said applicator and said tack and to permit axial alignment between said hollow interior of said applicator and said bore in said tack; and

an insertion needle extending longitudinally through said hollow interior of said applicator and through said bore in said tack to extend beyond said distal end to facilitate insertion of said tack longitudinally into the bodily tissue and to preclude transverse movement of said tack relative to said applicator, said insertion needle being movable to said applicator to be withdrawn from said bore in said tack to allow disengagement of said retainer means from said tack.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein said flange-like proximal end has a predetermined peripheral configuration, and wherein said retainer means comprises an open-sided transversely-extending slot for receiving said flange-like proximal end, said slot having an interior surface contoured to abut and match said predetermined configuration.

12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said flange-like proximal end forms a cross bar having a generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration having its longest dimension extending transversely of said shaft, and wherein said interior surface of said slot is substantially rectangular in section to match said cross bar.

13. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said flange-like proximal end is a cross bar forming a polyhedron elongated in a direction transversely of said shaft, and wherein said interior surface of said slot is multi-sided to match a portion of said polyhedron.