Method and apparatus for closing a body lumen

• US 6,231,561 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Appriva Medical, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lesh, Michael D., Frazier, Andrew G. C., van der Burg, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US09/399,521
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 604/500, 604/115, 604/117, 604/507, 604/511, 606/139
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• 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 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12122 within the heart for closing a cardiac septal defect A61B17/0057
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00579 Barbed implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00632 Occluding a cavity, i.e. closing a blind opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00668 the implement being a tack or a staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 : Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 : for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 : Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 : with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 : for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 : Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks for applying suture anchors A61B2017/0409; for applying wound clamps A61B17/10; for applying ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0645 : being elastically deformed for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 : having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 : Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 : Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2487 : Devices within the heart chamber, e.g. splints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure catheter, for closing a body cavity such as a vessel, or the left atrial appendage of the heart. The closure catheter includes a plurality of deployable tissue anchors, which may be laterally deployed into surrounding tissue. The anchors may thereafter be used to draw the tissue radially inwardly, to close the body cavity. Methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of reducing the volume of the left atrial appendage, comprising the steps of:

providing a catheter having at least four tissue anchors thereon, the anchors each having a suture secured thereto;

advancing the catheter through the heart and into the left atrial appendage;

inclining the anchors radially outwardly from the axis of the catheter towards tissue surrounding the opening to the left atrial appendage;

deploying the anchors from the catheter and into the tissue; and

retracting the sutures to reduce the volume of the left atrial appendage.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the inclining step comprises proximally retracting a control for inclining anchor supports which carry the anchors.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein proximally retracting the control axially compresses the anchor support.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the deploying the anchors step comprises proximally retracting a deployment line removably connected to each anchor.