Surgical suture arrangement

• US 8,361,112 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Carroll, Kempton K. II, Spivey, James T., Linenkugel, Duane A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q
• Application Number:
  US12/163,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 606/144, 606/148, 606/139, 606/198, 606/185, 606/232, 604/60, 600/106
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 2017/0034 adapted to be inserted through a working channel of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00818 Treatment of the gastro-intestinal system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• 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 hollow suture needles A61B2017/061

Abstract

A surgical instrument may comprise a shaft having proximal and distal ends defining an axis therebetween. The shaft may be flexible and sized for insertion into the working channel of a flexible endoscope. The shaft may be configured to be used in conjunction with various suture anchor applicators. One suture anchor applicator may have a first tube with a first channel and a tissue penetrating tip. The first channel may be adapted to retain a second tube. The second tube may have a second channel and a blunt tip. The second channel may be adapted to retain at least one suture anchor and may include an exit port adapted for ejecting suture anchors. An alternative suture anchor applicator may comprise a first tube and a second tube with a tissue penetrating tip. The second channel is adapted to retain at least one suture anchor.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a shaft having proximal and distal ends defining an axis therebetween, wherein the shaft is flexible and sized for insertion into a working channel of a flexible endoscope, and wherein the shaft comprises;

a first tube having a first channel extending from a proximal end of the first tube to a distal end of the first tube, wherein at least a portion of the first tube is adapted to retain a second tube;

the second tube having a second channel extending from a proximal end of the second tube to a distal end of the second tube, wherein the distal end of the second tube is integrally formed into a tissue penetrating tip structured to puncture a tissue wall, and wherein the second channel is adapted to retain at least one suture anchor;

the suture anchor having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the suture anchor is movable from a shielding position to a retracted position, wherein the distal end of the suture anchor is proximal to the tissue penetrating tip when the suture anchor is in the retracted position and extends distally past the tissue penetrating tip when the suture anchor is in the shielding position, and wherein the suture anchor is removably deployable from the tissue penetrating tip such that the suture anchor can be pulled against a distal side of the tissue wall as the tissue penetrating tip is removed from the tissue wall; and

a tag pusher, wherein the tag pusher comprises a first member and a second member connected with a compression member, and wherein the compression member is structured to decompress to allow the suture anchor to move from the retracted position to a position beyond the shielding position to removably deploy the suture anchor from the tissue penetrating tip when the tissue penetrating tip punctures through a tissue wall.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the tag pusher extends at least partially into the second channel.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the suture anchor is retained at a distal end of the tag pusher.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the compression member is structured to compress when a specified amount of force is applied to the suture anchor to allow the suture anchor to move from the shielding position to the retracted position and allow the tissue penetrating tip to puncture the tissue wall.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the compression member enters into a compressed position when the distal end of the suture anchor is pressed against a proximal side of a tissue wall to be penetrated.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein compression of the compression member to the compressed position allows the tissue penetrating tip to extend past the suture anchor to puncture tissue at a proximal side of the tissue wall.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the suture anchor is ejected from the second channel to removably deploy the suture anchor at a distal side of the tissue wall once the tissue penetrating tip has punctured the tissue wall.