Suture anchor and suture anchor installation tool
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A suture anchor for anchoring an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, said suture anchor comprising:
- (a) a coupling member having a first end surface and a second end surface,(b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and(c) attachment means for attaching an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and a pin extending across said bore, whereby the suture can be passed around said pin so that an intermediate portion of the suture is supported by said pin and the two ends of the suture are free to attach a desired object or objects to bone.
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Abstract
A new and improved suture anchor of the sort adapted to anchor an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, and a new and improved installation tool for deploying the same, said installation tool being adapted to releasably hold at least one curved needle which is attached to said piece of conventional suture.
770 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A suture anchor for anchoring an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, said suture anchor comprising:
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(a) a coupling member having a first end surface and a second end surface, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and a pin extending across said bore, whereby the suture can be passed around said pin so that an intermediate portion of the suture is supported by said pin and the two ends of the suture are free to attach a desired object or objects to bone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A suture anchor installation tool for deploying a suture anchor of the sort comprising (a) a coupling member having a first end surface and a second end surface, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor,
said suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate four widths of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, and an intermediate portion of said suture may be stored within said hollow interior.
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23. A suture anchor system for anchoring an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, said system comprising:
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a suture anchor comprising; (a) a coupling member having a first end surface and a second end surface, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and a pin extending across said bore, whereby the suture can be passed around said pin so that an intermediate portion of the suture is supported by said pin and the two ends of the suture are free to attach a desired object or objects to bone; a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate four widths of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, with said shoulder of said suture anchor engaging said first end of said first body portion; and a suture comprising first and second ends and first and second intermediate portions disposed between said first and second ends, said suture being attached to said suture anchor by passing said first intermediate portion of said suture around the suture anchor'"'"'s pin and having said second intermediate portion of said suture stored inside said hollow interior of the second body portion. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for anchoring an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture in bone, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a suture anchor system comprising; a suture anchor comprising; (a) a coupling member having a first end surface and a second end surface, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching an intermediate portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and a pin extending across said bore, whereby the suture can be passed around said pin so that an intermediate portion of the suture is supported by said pin and the two ends of the suture are free to attach a desired object or objects to bone; a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate four widths of a suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, with said shoulder of said suture anchor engaging said first end of said first body portion; and a suture comprising first and second ends and first and second intermediate portions disposed between said first and second ends, said suture being attached to said suture anchor by passing said first intermediate portion of said suture around said suture anchor'"'"'s pin and having said second intermediate portion of said suture stored inside said hollow interior of the second body portion; (2) forming a hole in the bone which is to have said suture attached to it; (3) inserting said first end of said installation tool and said suture anchor into said hole in said bone; and (4) withdrawing said installation tool from said hole in said bone, leaving said suture anchor disposed in said hole and said suture attached to said bone.
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45. A suture anchor for anchoring a piece of conventional suture in bone, said suture anchor comprising:
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(a) a coupling member, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and suture holding means in said bore. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. A suture anchor installation tool for deploying a suture anchor of the sort comprising (a) a coupling member, (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor,
said suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least two cross-sections of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot, and an intermediate portion of said suture may be stored within said hollow interior.
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50. A suture anchor system for anchoring a piece of conventional suture in bone, said system comprising:
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a suture anchor comprising; (a) a coupling member; (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and suture holding means for holding a suture in said bore; a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least two cross-sections of said suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot; and a suture comprising first and second ends and first and second intermediate portions disposed between said first and second ends, said first intermediate portion of said suture being attached to said suture anchor by said suture holding means, and said second intermediate portion of said suture being stored inside said hollow interior of the second body portion. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for anchoring a piece of conventional suture in bone, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a suture anchor system comprising; a suture anchor comprising; (a) a coupling member; (b) at least one barb, said barb having a first end and a second end and being curved in its normal unstressed state and being capable of being elastically deformed to a substantially straight configuration, said barb being attached to said coupling member so that said second end of said barb is substantially displaced from said coupling member when said barb is in its normal unstressed state but is capable of being aligned with said coupling member when said barb is deformed to a substantially straight length, and (c) attachment means for attaching a portion of a piece of conventional suture to said suture anchor, said attachment means comprising a bore formed in said coupling member and suture holding means disposed in said bore; a suture anchor installation tool comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, said first body portion having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first body portion being hollow and having a slot extending from said first end of said first body portion towards said second end of said first body portion, said first end of said first body portion being sized to accommodate a portion of said coupling member, and said slot being sized to accommodate said barb of said suture anchor, and said second body portion having a first end and a second end, said second body portion having a hollow interior and an opening leading to said hollow interior, said hollow interior being sized to accommodate an intermediate portion of a suture attached to the suture anchor, and said opening being sized to accommodate at least two cross-sections of a suture, with said second end of said first body portion being joined to said first end of said second body portion, whereby said suture anchor may be attached to said first end of said first body portion by fitting a portion of said coupling member into said first end of said first body portion and by fitting said barb of said suture anchor into said slot so that said barb extends outward and away from said first end of said first body portion, through said slot; and a suture comprising first and second ends and first and second intermediate portions disposed between said first and second ends, said first intermediate portion of said suture being attached to said suture anchor by said suture holding means, and said second intermediate portion of said suture being stored inside said hollow interior of the second body portion; (2) forming a hole in the bone which is to have said suture attached top it; (3) inserting said first end of said installation tool and said suture anchor into said hole in said bone; and (4) withdrawing said installation tool from said hole in said bone, leaving said suture anchor disposed in said hole and said suture attached to said bone.
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Specification