Devices and methods for anchoring tissue

• US 9,861,350 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ancora Heart, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ancora Heart, Inc.
• Inventors: Serina, Eugene, Tam, Tammy Y., Henderson, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): YABUT, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/820,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,321 Days
• Field of Search: 606232, 606219
• 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 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• 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 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00044 Sensing electrocardiography, i.e. ECG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00305 Constructional details of the flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00849 with respect to tissue, e.g. hollow organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00858 high friction, non-slip on handles A61B2017/00429
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00893 pharmaceutically effective
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0427 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0649 Coils or spirals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 : with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3904 : specially adapted for marking specified tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 : Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 : Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 : Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6877 : Nerve
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 : Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2442 : Annuloplasty rings or inserts for correcting the valve shape; Implants for improving the function of a native heart valve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 : in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 : for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence

Abstract

Described herein are devices and methods for delivering implants that have multiple coupled anchors. The anchors have an elongate form following a curved arcuate path in a single turning direction. Each anchor has two legs arranged to diverge away from each other, where each leg has a substantially non-constant radius of curvature and a substantially straight distal tip. The anchors are secured to tissue using a multi-opening guide tunnel that is configured to releasably retain one or more portions of the implant located between two of the anchors. The releasable retention of one or more intervening portions of the implant maintains the position of the implant and the guide tunnel until the implant is secured to the tissue. One variation of a multi-opening guide tunnel has releasable retention flaps and an aperture capable of deploying a fluid contrast medium into a patient without interfering with anchor delivery.

Claims

1. An anchor for securing a tether to cardiac tissue, the anchor comprising:

a self-expanding, shape memory wire body having an unconstrained elongate form with a central curved segment having two ends, two straight segments connected to the two ends of the central curved segment, and two legs extending from the two straight segments, wherein the two legs cross each other at a crossover point, and wherein a loop region is defined between an apex of the central curved segment and the crossover point, wherein the distal tips of each leg, in an unconstrained configuration, point away from each other and the loop region has a height that is about 2 to about 6 times a width of the loop region.

2. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the anchor is made of a nickel titanium alloy.

3. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the height of the loop region is from about 0.07 inch to about 0.2 inch, and the width of the loop region is from about 0.03 inch to about 0.08 inch.

4. The anchor of claim 3, wherein the height of the loop region is about 0.173 inch and the width is about 0.061 inch.