Method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart

• US 9,421,004 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atritech Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atritech Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Roue, Chad C., Frazier, Andrew G. C., Lesh, Michael D., van der Burg, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/799,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20150313604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 604/500, 606/139, 606/142, 606/144, 606/145, 606/146, 606/148, 606/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• 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 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12122 within the heart for closing a cardiac septal defect A61B17/0057
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00579 Barbed implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00632 Occluding a cavity, i.e. closing a blind opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00668 the implement being a tack or a staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 : Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 : for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 : Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 : with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 : for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 : Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0645 : being elastically deformed for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 : having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 : Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 : Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2487 : Devices within the heart chamber, e.g. splints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure catheter, for closing a tissue opening such as an atrial septal defect, patent foreman ovale, or the left atrial appendage of the heart. The closure catheter carries a plurality of tissue anchors, which may be deployed into tissue surrounding the opening, and used to draw the opening closed. Methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of securing a prosthesis to an opening of an atrium of a heart comprising:

advancing a catheter having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and two or more tubular anchor supports within the distal portion through the vasculature to an atrium of a heart,

wherein each tubular anchor support slidably retains at least one tissue anchor therein,

wherein each tubular support has a first longitudinally elongated and radially compact configuration and a second longitudinally contracted and radially expanded configuration;

positioning at least a portion of the two or more tubular supports within an opening of the atrium in the first longitudinally elongated and radially compact configuration;

altering the configuration of the two or more tubular supports within an opening of the atrium to attain the second longitudinally contracted and radially expanded configuration;

ejecting at least one tissue anchor from each tubular support; and

wherein each ejected tissue anchor passes through a prosthesis positioned within the opening of the atrium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more tubular supports includes a proximal tubular segment and a distal tubular segment as well as a hinge element therebetween.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distal ends of the distal tubular segments of the two or more tubular supports are hingedly joined to a cap.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one tissue anchor is ejected from a distal end of the proximal tubular segment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one tissue anchor is ejected from a proximal end of the distal tubular segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein upon passing through the prosthesis positioned proximate the opening of the atrium each ejected tissue anchor passes through tissue of the opening of the atrium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein upon passing through the prosthesis positioned proximate the opening of the atrium and passing through tissue of the opening of the atrium the tissue anchor secures the prosthesis to the tissue of the opening.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ejecting step results in each ejected tissue anchor passing non-perpendicularly through the prosthesis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each tissue anchor further comprises a suture attached thereto.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ejecting step occurs in response to manipulation of a proximal control.