Suture delivery system

• US 9,855,031 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Fluidics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Neosurgical Limited
• Inventors: Keating, Ronan, Rabbitte, Gerard, Russell, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan V
• Assistant Examiner(s): IGBOKO, CHIMA U
• Application Number:
  US13/688,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 606144
• 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 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0491 Sewing machines for surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06061 Holders for needles or sutures, e.g. racks, stands hand-held holding instruments A61B17/0483; holders for articles A61B50/20; racks for syringes or for hypodermic or infusion needles A61M5/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06128 Elongate cylinders, i.e. tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3423 Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands access sites for liquids A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00637 for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00663 the implement being a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00902 transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0427 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0438 slotted, i.e. having a longitudinal slot for enhancing their elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 : cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 : for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0474 : Knot pushers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 : with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 : for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 : located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3441 : with distal sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3466 : for simultaneous sealing of multiple instruments

Abstract

A suture delivery system is described. The system includes an anchor and a cooperating driver, the driver facilitating a delivery of the anchor into the abdominal cavity. The system allows for the deployment of a suture internally into an abdominal wall.

Claims

1. A suture delivery system comprising:

a hollow anchor having a longitudinal bore, the anchor being coupled to a suture extending circumferentially about the bore and in continuous contact with a recessed portion defined on the outer surface of the anchor, wherein the suture overlaps and is tied using a pre-tensioned constrictor knot located within the recessed portion such that the anchor is not moveable relative to the knot prior to delivery of the anchor into tissue;

a driver, the anchor with the knotted suture coupled thereto being co-operable with the driver, the driver being dimensioned to be receivable through the bore of the anchor and terminating in a needle end portion which on cooperation of the driver with the anchor projects through and beyond the anchor bore, the anchor and driver being relatively dimensioned such that on receipt of the driver through the bore a step is defined between a trailing end of the anchor and the driver;

wherein the driver is configured to allow an operator to operably apply pressure onto the anchor to affect delivery of the anchor into or through tissue and wherein on delivery of the anchor into or through tissue, the step defines an abutment surface with the tissue to effect a removal of the driver from the delivered anchor to leave the anchor in situ.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the suture is coupled to the anchor at a midpoint thereof such that the anchor will hang from the suture in an inverted T configuration.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the knot comprises a knot tail and wherein the knot tail is heat formed.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the knot tail has an aglet.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the suture is provided in a loop configuration through which a second anchor may be passed.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the needle end portion is sharpened to allow a piercing of the tissue as necessary.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the trailing end of the anchor engages with the needle driver.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the driver has a main body portion and a tapered end portion, the tapered end portion having a smaller cross sectional diameter than the main body portion such that the step is formed when the tapered end portion of the driver is presented into and engages with the trailing end of the anchor.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the abutment surface operably engages with or contacts against tissue and facilitates the removal of the driver from the anchor.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein an outer cross sectional diameter of the trailing end in the region of the step is greater than the cross sectional diameter of the tapered end portion.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the anchor includes a chamfered outer end surface which also facilitates the presentation of the anchor through the tissue.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the driver comprises a cleat.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the cleat is integrally formed in a head portion of the driver.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein a head portion of the driver includes a textured outer surface which provides improved grip to the user of the driver.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the driver comprises a bulbous head portion.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the driver comprises an integrated guide indicator.

17. The system of claim 1 comprising a guide tool that is cooperable with the driver and anchor, the guide comprising a driver guide channel.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the guide tool comprises an outlet whereby operably the anchor will exit the guide tool.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the outlet is provided at an end of the guide such that the anchor will exit the guide within an abdominal cavity.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the outlet is provided within a body of the guide such that operably the anchor will exit the guide and pass into an abdominal wall.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the guide tool comprises a collar which facilitates locating of the guide relative to an abdominal wall.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the guide tool comprises a sharpened end surface.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the suture is barbed suture.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the driver is hollow such that the suture may pass from the anchor through the driver.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises an anchor body coupled to an anchor head via the suture.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the driver comprises a socket configured to receive the anchor head.

27. The system of claim 25 comprising a guide within which the anchor and driver are locatable.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the anchor and driver are moveable relative to the guide.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein movement of the driver out of the guide affects a delivery of an anchor to a desired location.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the guide comprises an actuator configured to affect application of a force onto the anchor head to direct it into a socket of the driver.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the guide is configured to receive a plurality of anchors, the guide comprising an actuator configured to sequentially deliver individual anchors into contact with the driver.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the actuator affects movement onto the driver to deliver an anchor out of the guide.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein the suture is coupled to the anchor at the centre of mass of the anchor.