Systems, devices, and methods for minimally invasive pelvic surgery

• US 7,621,865 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gellman, Barry N., Brenneman, Rodney, Sauvageau, David J., Appell, Rodney, Pintauro, William, Morin, Armand
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk; John P
• Application Number:
  US11/493,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 32, 600/37, 128897-899, 606/119, 606/148, 606151-156, 606222-225
• US Class Current: 600/30
• 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 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• 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 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• 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 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/061 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06104 interconnected at their distal ends, e.g. two hollow needles forming a loop for passing a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22035 for retrieving or repositioning foreign objects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320044 Blunt dissectors
• 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: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

The invention, in various embodiments, provides systems, devices, and methods for treating urinary incontinence.

Claims

1. A sling assembly for treating urinary incontinence comprising

a pouch having proximal and distal ends;

a supportive sling at least partially enclosed by the pouch; and

a catheter having a lumen, the catheter being associated with the distal end of the pouch and projecting distally therefrom.

2. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch is flexible.

3. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch is clear or translucent.

4. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch has a flat, conical, or rolled conical shape.

5. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), vinyl, polyester, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or a combination thereof.

6. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch includes a porous material.

7. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch includes through apertures exposing the sling.

8. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch is configured to slide off the sling.

9. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the pouch is tapered.

10. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling is only partially enclosed by the pouch.

11. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling is completely enclosed by the pouch.

12. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling is releasably engaged with the pouch and/or the catheter.

13. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling is not directly associated with the catheter.

14. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling includes one or more sutures extending bilaterally therefrom.

15. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the sling is shorter in length than the pouch.

16. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the catheter includes a tapered distal end.

17. The sling assembly of claim 16, wherein the distal end of the catheter is sized and shaped for dilating, tearing, or creating an opening in the tissues of a patient.

18. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the catheter is cylindrical in shape.

19. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the catheter is curved.

20. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the lumen of the catheter extends the length of the catheter.

21. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the surface of the catheter is partially open.

22. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the lumen of the catheter is sized and shaped for receiving a guide wire, suture, or needle therein.

27. The sling assembly of claim 1, wherein the catheter is fixedly associated with the distal end of the pouch.

23. A method for treating urinary incontinence in a patient comprising

providing a sling assembly having

a supportive sling;

a pouch having proximal and distal ends; and

a catheter having a lumen, and

inserting the catheter into the patient by dilating the tissues of the patient with a distal end of the catheter to deliver the sling to an anatomical location in the patient.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the pouch at least partially encloses the sling.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the anatomical location is adjacent a urethra.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the catheter is fixedly associated with the distal end of the pouch.