Suture spring device
First Claim
1. In combination, a suture spring device comprising an elastic body of coiled configuration having a relaxed, contracted state and an elastically deformed, expanded state;
- anda guide for holding said suture spring device in said elastically deformed, expanded state for positioning in anatomical tissue, said guide being removable from said suture spring device to permit said suture spring device to move resiliently from said expanded state toward said contracted state to apply a predetermined compressive force to the anatomical tissue.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A guide is used to position a suture spring device in anatomical tissue in an elastically deformed, expanded state and is subsequently removed to permit the suture spring device to move from the elastically deformed, expanded state toward a relaxed, contracted state to apply a predetermined compression to the tissue engaged by the device. In one embodiment, the guide includes a hollow, tubular body of coiled configuration defining a plurality of connected coils or rings with a predetermined radius of curvature and a predetermined axial spacing therebetween. The suture spring device includes an elastic body which is of coiled configuration in the contracted state to define a single ring, a portion of a ring or a plurality of connected rings having a radius of curvature and/or axial spacing in the relaxed, contracted state which is smaller than the predetermined radius of curvature and/or axial spacing of the guide so that, when the suture spring device is disposed within the guide, it is maintained in an elastically deformed, expanded state for positioning in anatomical tissue.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. In combination, a suture spring device comprising an elastic body of coiled configuration having a relaxed, contracted state and an elastically deformed, expanded state;
- and
a guide for holding said suture spring device in said elastically deformed, expanded state for positioning in anatomical tissue, said guide being removable from said suture spring device to permit said suture spring device to move resiliently from said expanded state toward said contracted state to apply a predetermined compressive force to the anatomical tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- and
-
14. In combination, a suture spring device comprising an elastic body of coiled configuration having a relaxed, contracted state and an elastically deformed, expanded state;
- and
a guide for positioning said suture spring device in anatomical tissue in said elastically deformed, expanded state, said guide being removable from said suture spring device to permit said suture spring device to move resiliently from said expanded state toward said contracted state to apply a predetermined compressive force to the anatomical tissue; wherein said guide includes a hollow tubular body with proximal and distal ends and said suture spring device is disposed within said hollow tubular body in said elastically deformed, expanded state for positioning in anatomical tissue; and wherein said distal end of said guide includes a tissue penetrating tip. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- and
-
20. A method of suturing anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning a suture spring device of coiled configuration in the anatomical tissue in an elastically deformed, expanded state; - and
causing the suture spring device to move from the elastically deformed, expanded state toward a relaxed, contracted state within the anatomical tissue to apply a predetermined compressive force to the tissue; wherein said positioning step includes penetrating the anatomical tissue with a guide and using the guide to hold the suture spring device in the expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- and
-
27. A method of suturing anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning a suture spring device of coiled configuration in the anatomical tissue in an elastically deformed, expanded state; - and
causing the suture spring device to move from the elastically deformed, expanded state toward a relaxed, contracted state within the anatomical tissue to apply a predetermined compressive force to the tissue; wherein said positioning step includes expanding the suture spring device by increasing a radius of curvature of the suture spring device and placing the expanded suture spring device in anatomical tissue.
- and
-
28. A method of suturing anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning a suture spring device of coiled configuration in the anatomical tissue in an elastically deformed, expanded state; - and
causing the suture spring device to move from the elastically deformed, expanded state toward a relaxed, contracted state within the anatomical tissue to apply a predetermined compressive force to the tissue; wherein said positioning step includes expanding the suture spring device by increasing a radius of curvature and an axial spacing between rings of the suture spring device and placing the expanded suture spring device in anatomical tissue.
- and
-
29. A suture spring device for use with a guide having an elongate, tubular body of coiled configuration terminating distally in a sharp, tissue penetrating tip, the tubular body defining a plurality of connected rings having a predetermined radius of curvature and a predetermined axial spacing therebetween, the sharp, tissue penetrating tip allowing the guide to penetrate and pass through anatomical tissue when the guide is placed against the tissue and rotated about a longitudinal axis of the guide, said suture spring device comprising
an elastic body of coiled configuration having a relaxed, contracted state where at least one of a radius of curvature and an axial spacing of said elastic body is smaller than the predetermined radius of curvature and axial spacing of the coiled tubular body of the guide, said body having sufficient elasticity to fit inside the coiled tubular body of the guide in an elastically deformed, expanded state so that, when the guide is removed from anatomical tissue after having been used to penetrate the anatomical tissue and position said suture spring device therein, said suture spring device will remain in the tissue and move from said elastically deformed, expanded state toward said relaxed, contracted state to automatically compress the tissue engaged by the device.
-
36. A method of suturing anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
penetrating the anatomical tissue with a hollow, tubular guide of coiled configuration; -
using the guide to position a suture device in the anatomical tissue in an expanded state; and removing the guide from the suture device to cause the suture device to move from the expanded state toward a contracted state within the anatomical tissue to apply a predetermined compressive force to the tissue.
-
-
37. A method of suturing anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
penetrating the anatomical tissue with a guide; -
using the guide to position a suture device in the anatomical tissue in an expanded state; and causing the suture device to move from the expanded state toward a contracted state within the anatomical tissue to apply a predetermined compressive force to the tissue; wherein the suture device includes an elastic body of coiled configuration in the contracted state and said causing step includes removing the guide from the suture device to allow the suture device to move resiliently from the expanded state toward the contracted state within the anatomical tissue.
-
Specification