Wound closure product

• US 7,455,681 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wound Care Technologies, Inc. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wound Care Technologies LLC (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoedeman, George M., Berkey, John J., Elliott, Daniel M., Anderson, Paul J., Wilke, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYSON, MELANIE RUANO
• Application Number:
  US10/949,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 606/216, 606/213, 606/212
• US Class Current: 606/216
• 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 17/0466 Suture bridges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/085 with adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/086 having flexible threads, filaments, laces or wires, e.g. parallel threads, extending laterally from a strip, e.g. for tying to opposing threads extending from a similar strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1142 Purse-string sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/916 specially adapted for deep wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/94 with gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/962 having pumping means on the suction site, e.g. miniature pump on dressing or dressing capable of exerting suction

Abstract

A wound closure system and a method of closing a wound are disclosed. The wound closure system includes a plurality of skin anchors mechanically attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, a line extending between the skin anchors, the line slidably engaged with each skin anchor, and a biasing member that provides tension on the line to draw all of the skin anchors toward the wound. The method of closing a wound includes the steps of attaching a plurality of skin anchors to external skin around a periphery of a wound, extending a line between the skin anchors around substantially the entire periphery of the wound, and providing tension to the line to draw the skin anchors toward the wound.

Claims

1. A wound closure system comprising:

(a) at least three or more skin anchors adapted to be mechanically attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound;

(b) a line adapted to extend between the skin anchors and around substantially the entire periphery of the wound, wherein the line is slidably engaged with each skin anchor and extends between the skin anchors without any portion of the line penetrating through the skin tissue; and

(c) a tensioning apparatus including a housing with a spring that is adapted to provide dynamic tension on the line to draw the skin anchors toward each other and the wound, the housing including a spool rotatably coupled to the housing, the spool coupled to the spring and adapted for winding the spring for the application of the dynamic tension on the line, wherein no portion of the spring is adapted to be located within the periphery of the wound, wherein the housing and the spring include intermating structures adapted for winding the spring, wherein the intermating structures start to slip with respect to each other after the spring has been fully wound to provide an indication that winding of the spring within the housing has been completed.

2. A wound closure system according to claim 1 wherein the intermating structures include radially arranged vertical indents formed within the housing and a radially outwardly projecting tab of the spring.

3. A wound closure system according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a button that can be pushed along a longitudinal direction of the spool to release the dynamic tension on the line.