Devices for investing within ligaments for retracting and reinforcing the same

• US 6,383,199 B2
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coopersurgical Incorporated (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Inlet Medical, Inc. (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Lee, Carter, James E., Cook, John D., Gabler, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/167,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 606/232, 606/143, 606/233, 606/139, 606/225, 606/216, 606/217, 606/72, 606/73, 606/75
• US Class Current: 606/148
• 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 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06061 Holders for needles or sutures, e.g. racks, stands hand-held holding instruments A61B17/0483; holders for articles A61B50/20; racks for syringes or for hypodermic or infusion needles A61M5/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/282 Jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00349 Needle-like instruments having hook or barb-like gripping means, e.g. for grasping suture or tissue A61B17/06066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00637 for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00663 the implement being a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/047 having at least one proximally pointing needle located at the distal end of the instrument, e.g. for suturing trocar puncture wounds starting from inside the body J-shaped suture needles A61B2017/0608
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2825 Inserts of different material in jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/4216 Operations on uterus, e.g. endometrium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable

Abstract

The suture is released by opening and withdrawing the tip from the guide. The suture is recovered by using the guide to redirect the tip and puncturing the tissue opposite the first point of insertion. The tip grasps the suture and pulls the suture through the guide. The suture is pulled outside the wound, providing for rapid closure of the surgical incision. The guide is insertable within the wound to be closed and guides the surgical instrument at a predetermined angle from the longitudinal axis of the guide for optimum wound closure. The surgical instrument and method may be used to advantageously shorten and strengthen ligaments. For example, by gathering and reinforcing the round ligament that supports a woman'"'"'s uterus with suture materials, surgeons can reposition and stabilize a retroverted uterus. Other devices may be also used in connection with retracting and reinforcing connective tissue. For example, rather than relying entirely on suture material to hold connective tissue in a retracted state, a device having one or more anchors may be inserted into connective tissue.

Claims

1. A method reinforcing ligaments within a person'"'"'s body comprising the steps of:

laparoscopically entering a person'"'"'s body with a tool housing a device connected to suture material, said tool defining a single central aperture generally perpendicular to a major axis of said tool;

inserting said tool into the ligament to be affected along the axial length of said ligament, and pushing said device and suture material through the axial length;

moving the device generally perpendicular to the major axis and outside the tool;

affixing the device to the ligament at a desired axial location;

pulling said suture material exteriorly from the ligament in a direction generally opposite of said suture material'"'"'s point of entry to the ligament causing the ligament to retract along its length; and

attaching said suture material within the body at a point generally in proximity to said suture'"'"'s original point of entry into the ligament, whereby the ligament retracted along its length is reinforced within the person'"'"'s body.

2. A method of investing suture within ligaments in a person'"'"'s body comprising the steps of:

entering the person'"'"'s body with suture materials for suturing ligaments;

inserting the suture material into the ligament to be affected along its axial length, and pushing said suture material through the axial length;

attaching a pledget to the exterior of the ligament with the suture material, said pledget being oval in nature and generally presenting no corners to adjacent tissue;

pulling said suture material exteriorly from the ligament in a direction generally opposite of said suture material'"'"'s point of entry to the ligament causing the ligament to retract along its length; and

attaching said suture material within the body at a point generally in proximity to said suture'"'"'s original point of entry into the ligament, whereby the ligament retracted along its length is reinforced within the person'"'"'s body.