Sling anchor system

• US 8,092,366 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Evans, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II, Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US12/093,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20090221868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 32, 600/37, 128/885, 606/151
• US Class Current: 600/30
• 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 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/061 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3071 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0087 colour-coded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00359 Bone or bony tissue

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to surgical articles useful for implanting support members in patients. The articles disclosed herein include a support member, such as a sling for urinary incontinence, tissue anchors, filamentary elements for associating the support member with the anchors, and introducer needles for placing the anchors in a patient. The support members can also be configured for use in pelvic floor repair, such as for treating cystoceles, rectoceles, and enteroceles.

Claims

1. An implantable system comprising:

at least two tissue anchors;

at least two filamentary elements adapted to be associated with the at least two tissue anchors; and

a support member comprising at least two connectors, a first connector permanently attached to a first filamentary element and a second connector adapted to associate the support member with a second filamentary element, the first connector comprising a first perforation for receiving a second end of the first filamentary element and a fixation feature separate from the first perforation to releasably secure the first filamentary element, the fixation feature comprising a cleating member contiguous with a second perforation,

wherein at least one of the at least two connectors is adapted to adjustably and releasably fix an end of at least one of the at least two filamentary elements.

2. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the support member has a first end, a second end, and a support portion, and wherein each of the first and second ends terminates in one of the at least two connectors.

3. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two anchors includes an aperture to receive an end of at least one of the at least two filamentary elements.

4. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein said system is configured to treat at least one of a cystocele and a rectocele.

5. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary elements are chosen from mesh, biological material, and suture.

6. The implantable system according to claim 1, wherein the first filamentary element creates a loop from the first connector to at least one of the at least two tissue anchors back to the first connector.