Self-suturing anchors

• US 8,454,656 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ventor Technologies LTD. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ventor Technologies LTD. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Tuval, Yosi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dornbusch, Dianne
• Application Number:
  US13/038,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 623/2.1, 623/2.11, 623 236- 241, 606/139, 606/151, 606/232, 606/103, 600/37
• 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 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2457 Chordae tendineae prostheses

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided, including a plurality of anchoring elements, each of the anchoring elements being an elongate element that is curved to define an opening. A housing holds each of the anchoring elements. A mandrel is reversibly disposable through the openings defined by the anchoring elements. The anchoring elements are configured such that, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings, ends of the anchoring elements automatically move outwardly, and diameters of the openings decrease, due to elastic loading of the anchoring elements. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of anchoring elements, each of the anchoring elements being an elongate element that is curved to define an opening;

a housing configured to hold each of the anchoring elements; and

a mandrel that is reversibly disposable through the openings defined by the anchoring elements,

the anchoring elements being configured such that, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings, ends of the anchoring elements automatically move outwardly, and diameters of the openings decrease, due to elastic loading of the anchoring elements, wherein the anchoring elements are configured to couple the housing to the tissue by becoming anchored to the tissue.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ends of the anchoring elements are sharp.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the anchoring elements is configured to automatically become anchored to tissue of a subject, by entering the tissue via an entry route, in response to removal of the mandrel from the opening defined by the anchoring element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the anchoring elements is configured to automatically exit the tissue via an exit route that is a reverse of the entry route, in response to reinsertion of the mandrel through the opening.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises flexible portions thereof, the flexible portions being disposed between adjacent anchoring elements of the anchoring elements.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring elements comprise a P1-anchor, a P2-anchor, and a P3-anchor configured to become coupled to tissue in a vicinity of, respectively, P1, P2 and P3 segments of a posterior leaflet of the mitral valve.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a tether configured to pass through the anchors.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tether is fixedly coupled to the P2-anchor and is slidably coupled to the P1-anchor and the P3-anchor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cardiac-site anchor configured to anchor ends of the tether to a cardiac site of a heart of a subject.

10. Apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of anchoring elements;

a mandrel that is reversibly disposable through the anchoring elements,

each of the anchoring elements being configured to;

automatically become anchored to tissue of a subject, by entering the tissue via an entry route, in response to removal of the mandrel from the anchoring element; and

subsequently, automatically exit the tissue via an exit route that is a reverse of the entry route, in response to reinsertion of the mandrel through the anchoring element, wherein the anchoring elements are disposed in a housing, and wherein the anchoring elements are configured to couple the housing to the tissue by becoming anchored to the tissue.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein ends of the anchoring elements are sharp.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the anchoring elements comprises an elongate element that is curved to define an opening, wherein the mandrel is reversibly disposable through the openings, and wherein ends of respective anchoring elements are configured to automatically become anchored to the respective locations of the tissue by moving outwardly, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the anchoring elements are configured such that, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings, ends of the anchoring elements automatically move outwardly, and diameters of the openings decrease, due to elastic loading of the anchoring elements.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the housing comprises flexible portions thereof, the flexible portions being disposed between adjacent anchoring elements of the anchoring elements.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the anchoring elements comprise a P1-anchor, a P2-anchor, and a P3-anchor configured to become coupled to tissue in a vicinity of, respectively, P1, P2 and P3 segments of a posterior leaflet of the mitral valve.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a tether configured to pass through the anchors.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the tether is fixedly coupled to the P2-anchor and is slidably coupled to the P1-anchor and the P3-anchor.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a cardiac-site anchor configured to anchor ends of the tether to a cardiac site of a heart of a subject.

19. Apparatus for use with tissue of a subject, comprising:

a plurality of anchoring elements configured to become anchored to respective locations of the tissue, each of the anchoring elements being an elongate element that is curved to define an opening;

a housing configured to hold each of the anchoring elements, during anchoring of the anchoring elements to the tissue; and

a mandrel that is disposed through the openings defined by the anchoring elements,

ends of the anchoring elements being configured to automatically become anchored to the respective locations of the tissue by moving outwardly, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings, wherein the anchoring elements are configured to couple the housing to the tissue by becoming anchored to the tissue.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein ends of the anchoring elements are sharp.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the anchoring elements are configured such that, in response to removal of the mandrel from the openings, ends of the anchoring elements automatically move outwardly, and diameters of the openings decrease, due to elastic loading of the anchoring elements.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of the anchoring elements is configured to automatically become anchored to tissue of a subject, by entering the tissue via an entry route, in response to removal of the mandrel from the opening defined by the anchoring element.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each of the anchoring elements is configured to automatically exit the tissue via an exit route that is a reverse of the entry route, in response to reinsertion of the mandrel through the opening.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the housing comprises flexible portions thereof, the flexible portions being disposed between adjacent anchoring elements of the anchoring elements.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the anchoring elements comprise a P1-anchor, a P2-anchor, and a P3-anchor configured to become coupled to tissue in a vicinity of, respectively, P1, P2 and P3 segments of a posterior leaflet of the mitral valve.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a tether configured to pass through the anchors.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the tether is fixedly coupled to the P2-anchor and is slidably coupled to the P1-anchor and the P3-anchor.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a cardiac-site anchor configured to anchor ends of the tether to a cardiac site of a heart of a subject.