Sling anchor system

• US 8,845,512 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Evans, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US13/345,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 32, 600/37, 128/885, 606/151, 606/157
• 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. A method for supporting tissue within a patient, comprising:

making an incision in a vaginal wall of the patient;

attaching a first tissue anchor to a first introducer needle;

passing the first introducer needle and the first tissue anchor into the incision in a direction of an obturator membrane, the first tissue anchor attached to a support member via a first filamentary element, the first filamentary element spacing the first tissue anchor from the support member a fixed length;

inserting the first tissue anchor into the obturator membrane;

removing the first introducer needle;

attaching a second tissue anchor to a second introducer needle;

passing the second introducer needle and the second tissue anchor into the incision in a direction of a contralateral obturator membrane, the second tissue anchor attached to the support member via a second filamentary element, the second filamentary element having a first end permanently connected to the support member and a second end passing through the second tissue anchor;

inserting the second tissue anchor into the contralateral obturator membrane;

removing the second introducer needle; and

pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension exerted by the support member on the tissue, wherein the second filamentary element is slidable through an aperture in the second tissue anchor and pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension includes sliding at least a portion of the second filamentary element through the aperture.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inserting the first tissue anchor includes passing the first tissue anchor through the obturator membrane.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the inserting the second tissue anchor includes passing the second tissue anchor through the contralateral obturator membrane.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tissue is a urethra, and wherein pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension includes pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension exerted by the support member on the urethra.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tissue is a bladder, and wherein pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension includes pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension exerted by the support member on the bladder.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tissue is a rectum, and wherein pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension includes pulling on the second filamentary element to adjust tension exerted by the support member on the rectum.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first tissue anchor comprises two or more flexible barbs that are in a collapsed position when attached to the first introducer needle and expand to an expanded position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the first tissue anchor when in the obturator membrane.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the flexible barbs are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first tissue anchor in the collapsed position.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

attaching a third tissue anchor to a third introducer needle;

passing the third introducer needle and the attached third tissue anchor into the incision, the third tissue anchor attached to the support member via a third filamentary element;

inserting the third tissue anchor into tissue of the patient;

removing the third introducer needle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

attaching a fourth tissue anchor to a fourth introducer needle;

passing the fourth introducer needle and the attached fourth tissue anchor into the incision, the fourth tissue anchor attached to the support member via a fourth filamentary element;

inserting the fourth tissue anchor into tissue of the patient;

removing the fourth introducer needle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is used to treat a rectocele.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is used to treat a cystocele.