Systems and methods for applying a suture within a blood vessel lumen

• US 7,544,198 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aptus Endosystems Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Parodi, Juan C
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Pedro
• Application Number:
  US10/915,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/142, 606/198, 606/108, 606/107, 606/155, 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.23, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0649 Coils or spirals
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching

Abstract

Systems and methods apply a suture within a blood vessel lumen. The systems and methods advance within a blood vessel lumen a catheter tube having a distal region that carries a suture applicator. The systems and methods operate the suture applicator from a location external to the blood vessel lumen to apply a suture to an interior wall of a blood vessel lumen.

Claims

1. A method comprising

advancing a graft for repairing an aneurysm in a blood vessel lumen,

advancing within the blood vessel lumen an elongated endovascular device, the elongated endovascular device including a spiral suture applicator including a rotary head, a tissue-piercing spiral suture carried by the rotary head for advancement into a vascular wall of the blood vessel lumen in response to operation of the rotary head, and a component that is sized and configured to be moved between a contracted position and an operating condition that makes selective engagement against a vascular wall within the blood vessel, the endovascular device being advanced within the blood vessel lumen while the component is in the contracted position,

applying a stabilization force within the blood vessel by moving the component into the operating condition to make selective engagement against a vascular wall of the blood vessel, and

securing the graft to a vascular wall of the blood vessel to repair the aneurysm by operating the rotary head from a region remote from the blood vessel lumen to advance the tissue-piercing spiral suture into the vascular wall while the stabilization force is applied within the blood vessel lumen by the component.

2. A method according to claim 1

wherein the component is moved between a contracted position and an operating condition by expansion.