Surgical device for connecting soft tissue

• US 8,740,918 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evalve, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Evalve, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Seguin, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/156,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 606/16, 606/37, 606/42, 606/139, 606/142, 606/143, 606/144, 606/48, 606/151, 606/157, 606/185, 606/152, 606/153, 606/158, 606/213, 606/216, 606/219, 606/232, 600/37, 128/898, 623 211- 237
• US Class Current: 606/142
• 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 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/10 for applying or removing wound clamps, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068; Wound clamp magazines containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00, B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping channel for multiple instruments A61B2017/3445; instrument channel A61B2017/22072; replaceable heads A61B2017/2931; suction A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1103 Approximator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/037 with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

Provided is a surgical instrument including an external tube (2) and two elongated members (4) positioned in the tube (2), each of which includes a distal end (10a) for capturing one of the two tissue zones (M1, M2) to be attached. The instrument (1) may further include a catching member (22, 25) for each tissue (M1, M2) to be attached; a rod (15, 16) linked to each catching member (22, 25) enabling tension to move axially, the rod (15, 16) being separable from said catching member (22, 25) when a tension is exerted on it beyond a certain threshold; and a member (17a) forming a stop for locking axially each catching member (22, 25) during the tensioning.

Claims

1. A method for percutaneously attaching valve leaflets, said method comprising:

percutaneously introducing a device through a patient'"'"'s vasculature into a heart chamber;

capturing a first valve leaflet by applying a vacuum to the device;

capturing a second valve leaflet by applying a vacuum to the device, wherein the second valve leaflet is captured separately from the first valve leaflet;

drawing the first and second captured leaflets together; and

attaching the first valve leaflet to the second valve leaflet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the valve leaflets comprise mitral valve leaflets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein percutaneously introducing the device comprises advancing the device across the intra-atrial septum into the left atrium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the first valve leaflet or the second valve leaflet comprises advancing an elongate member from the device and securing the first valve leaflet or the second valve leaflet thereto.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein drawing the first and second captured leaflets together comprises drawing a first elongate member and a second elongate member together, wherein the first elongate member and the second elongate member extend from the device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein drawing the first elongate member and the second elongate member together comprises advancing a sheath over the first and the second elongate members.

7. A system for repairing a cardiac valve, said system comprising:

a tube suitable for introduction through a patient'"'"'s vasculature and into a chamber of a heart;

a clipping system comprising a first element adapted to be brought up beneath a pair of valve leaflets from the ventricular side and a second element adapted to be brought down over the pair of valve leaflets from the atrial side, wherein the first element engages the ventricular side of both leaflets and the second element engages the atrial side of both the leaflets to capture both leaflets therebetween and wherein the first and second elements may be left to attach the free edges of the leaflets together; and

a pair of elongate elements each having trumpeted distal extremities, the pair of elongate elements extensible from a distal end of the tube, wherein each trumpeted distal extremity is adapted to grasp a valve leaflet when vacuum is applied thereto, wherein attaching comprises clipping the leaflets together.