Mesh material to repair hernias

• US 6,746,458 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William G. Cloud
• Original Assignee: William G. Cloud
• Inventors: Cloud, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, D. Jacob
• Application Number:
  US09/657,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 606/151, 606/213, 606/216, 128/95.1, 128/96.1
• US Class Current: 606/151
• 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 17/06128 Elongate cylinders, i.e. tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes

Abstract

The present invention relates to surgically implantable devices that allow a surgeon to locate suture threads that are attached to the implantable device before it is implanted into a patient. The present invention addresses the need to grasp suture threads and pass them through body tissues by laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery, without the suture threads entangling or otherwise resisting the surgical procedure. The present invention encloses suture threads, each of which is attached by one end to an implantable device in suture housings. The present invention further includes novel pull-tabs that allow the grasping of a suture thread and extraction from a suture housing. The present invention also provides novel suture assemblies that may be attached to a surgically implantable device and methods of attaching, to a patient, surgically implantable device implants that have suture assemblies attached thereon.

Claims

1. A surgically implantable device, comprising:

a body;

at least one suture thread extendably mounted to the body, wherein the suture thread has a proximal end attached to the body, and a distal region removably attached to the body;

a suture housing disposed on the body, wherein the distal region of the suture thread is removably contained within said suture housing; and

a pull-tab connected to the at least one suture thread for completely removing the suture thread from the suture housing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is a surgical implant, patch, cover or dressing.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is a surgically implantable patch for the repair of a hernia.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the surgically implantable patch is a monolayer selected from a mesh, a porous film, a nonporous film or a combination thereof.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the surgically implanted patch is a mesh of interwoven or interlaid filaments, and wherein the mesh comprises a natural or a synthetic material or a combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the surgically implantable patch is a laminate comprising a first layer and a second layer.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one layer of the laminate is a mesh comprising a synthetic material selected from polypropylene or polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) or a combination thereof, and the second layer of the laminate comprises PTFE.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is a surgically implantable device selected from a prosthesis, a vascular prosthesis, a cardiovascular implant, a vascular stent, a bone repair implant, and an implantable medical device, organ, tube, and membrane.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a frangible area disposed between the pull-tab and the housing.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the pull-tab is slideably disposed on the suture thread.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the pull-tab is attached to the suture thread.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the pull-tab is a looped region of the suture thread.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is contained in a package device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the suture housing comprises a cannula.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the suture housing is a sac.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the suture housing is a compartment defined by the surgically implantable patch.

27. A method of surgically securing a surgically implantable device to a patient, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a surgically implantable device according to claim 1;

b) inserting the surgically implantable device through an incision in the patient;

c) placing the surgically implantable device so as to place the at least one suture thread adjacent to a selected tissue of the patient;

d) acquiring the at least one suture thread by means of a pull-tab attached thereon and completely removing the suture thread from the suture housing;

e) moving the at least one suture thread through the tissue; and

f) securing the at least one suture thread so as to attach the surgically implantable device to the patient.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of repeating steps d) and e).

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the surgically implantable device is an implantable patch.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the surgically implantable device is configured so as to pass through a laparoscopic incision.

17. A surgically implantable device, comprising:

a body;

at least one suture thread extendably mounted to the body, wherein the suture thread has a proximal end attached to the body, and a distal region removably attached to the body;

a suture housing disposed on the body, wherein the distal region of the suture thread is removably contained within said suture housing and wherein the distal region of the suture thread is removably attached to the body by heat bonding or an adhesive; and

a pull-tab connected to the at least one suture thread for pulling the suture thread from the suture housing.

18. A surgically implantable device, comprising:

a surgically implantable patch;

at least one suture assembly attached to the patch, wherein the suture assembly comprises at least one suture housing;

at least one suture thread having a proximal end attached to the patch and a distal region removably disposed within the suture housing; and

a pull-tab attached to the suture thread for completely removing the suture thread from the suture housing.

19. A suture assembly for attaching a surgical implant to a patient, comprising:

a suture thread;

a suture housing attached to the surgical implant and removably containing the suture thread; and

a pull-tab attached to the suture thread, wherein the pull-tab is adapted to be engaged and pulled for completely removing the suture thread from the suture housing.

20. The suture assembly according to claim 19, further comprising a frangible area disposed between the pull-tab and the housing.

21. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the pull-tab is not attached to the suture housing and is slideably disposed on the suture thread.

22. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the pull-tab for completely removing the suture thread from the suture housing comprises a fold of the suture thread.

23. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the suture housing is attached to a surgical implant.

24. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the suture housing is a cannula.

25. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the suture housing is a sac.

26. The suture assembly according to claim 19, wherein the suture housing is defined by a bonded area between two layers of a surgical implant.

31. A method of surgically securing a surgically implantable device to a patient, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a surgically implantable device comprising a body, at least one suture thread extendably mounted to the body, wherein the suture thread has a proximal end attached to the body, and a distal region removably attached to the body, a suture housing disposed on the body, wherein the distal region of the suture thread is removably contained within said suture housing, and a pull-tab operably connected to the at least one suture thread;

b) attaching the surgically implantable device to a surgical tool for insertion into a patient;

c) inserting the surgically implantable device through an incision in the patient;

d) placing the surgically implantable device so as to place the at least one suture thread adjacent to a selected tissue of the patient;

e) acquiring the at least one suture thread by means of a pull-tab attached thereon;

f) moving the at least one suture thread through the tissue; and

g) securing the at least one suture thread so as to attach the surgically implantable device to the patient.

32. A method of inserting a surgically implantable device into a patient, the device including a body, a retractable thread with a proximal end attached to the body and a distal end disposed inside a housing that is affixed to the body, and a pull tab attached to the thread capable of completely removing the thread from the housing, the method comprising:

inserting the surgically implantable device into the patient;

pulling the pull tab with an insertion tool;

completely removing the distal end of the thread from the housing by the pull tab; and

attaching the surgically implantable device to the patient with the thread.