Knotless suture anchoring devices and tools for implants
First Claim
1. A system for locking a device on one or more sutures, comprising:
- one or more sutures each having a thickness;
a bifurcated locking clamp including a pair of substantially similar clamp halves each having an exterior surface and an inner surface facing the inner surface of the other clamp half to form a variable sized slot therebetween, the clamp halves being connected for movement toward or away from one another while being fixed axially with respect to one another, wherein the suture(s) extend through the slot between the inner surfaces of the clamp halves;
a biasing member positioned on the outside of the locking clamp having a relaxed size that, in the absence of an object in the slot, urges the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together such that the slot has a width smaller than the suture thickness;
a retention member positioned between the clamp halves against the force of the biasing member and having a thickness that maintains the slot width large enough to permit passage of the suture therethrough, wherein removal of the retention member permits the biasing member to urge the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together and clamp the suture(s) therebetween; and
wherein the clamp halves are hinged together on a first circumferential side such that the variable sized slot defines a variable sized opening on the side opposite the first circumferential side, and wherein the biasing member comprises a plurality of C-clips arranged around the locking clamp with their free ends located on either side of the variable sized slot opposite the first circumferential side.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices for securing prostheses such as heart valves or annuloplasty rings with sutures and without using knots are disclosed. The devices are particularly well suited for traditional surgery or minimally invasive surgery, and improve the ease of implantation by eliminating surgical knots a clinician would normally tie in the limited space in and around the implant site. The devices have opposed the clamp halves surrounded by a coil spring. Sutures pass between the clamp halves and the coil spring has an inner coil diameter sufficient to compress the sutures between the clamp. A retention member positioned between the clamp halves maintains a minimum space and therebetween to enable the locking device to be slid along the sutures into position, and to adjust the tension of the sutures therethrough. A delivery tool may be used to deliver and deploy the locking devices.
141 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for locking a device on one or more sutures, comprising:
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one or more sutures each having a thickness; a bifurcated locking clamp including a pair of substantially similar clamp halves each having an exterior surface and an inner surface facing the inner surface of the other clamp half to form a variable sized slot therebetween, the clamp halves being connected for movement toward or away from one another while being fixed axially with respect to one another, wherein the suture(s) extend through the slot between the inner surfaces of the clamp halves; a biasing member positioned on the outside of the locking clamp having a relaxed size that, in the absence of an object in the slot, urges the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together such that the slot has a width smaller than the suture thickness; a retention member positioned between the clamp halves against the force of the biasing member and having a thickness that maintains the slot width large enough to permit passage of the suture therethrough, wherein removal of the retention member permits the biasing member to urge the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together and clamp the suture(s) therebetween; and wherein the clamp halves are hinged together on a first circumferential side such that the variable sized slot defines a variable sized opening on the side opposite the first circumferential side, and wherein the biasing member comprises a plurality of C-clips arranged around the locking clamp with their free ends located on either side of the variable sized slot opposite the first circumferential side. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for locking a device onto at least one suture having a thickness, comprising:
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an elongated delivery tool having a proximal end, a distal end, and a delivery tube therebetween having a lumen, the tool further including an elongated tension member that extends along the delivery tube; a suture locking device positioned on the distal end of the delivery tool having a bifurcated locking clamp including a pair of substantially similar clamp halves each having an exterior surface and an inner surface facing the inner surface of the other clamp half, the clamp halves are fixed axially with respect to one another while being connected for movement toward or away from one another to form a variable sized slot therebetween, wherein the device further includes a biasing member that, in the absence of an object in the slot, urges the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together such that the slot has a width smaller than the suture thickness, wherein the device has a retention member positioned between the clamp halves against the force of the biasing member with a thickness that maintains the slot width large enough to permit passage of a suture therethrough, and wherein removal of the retention member permits the biasing member to urge the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together and clamp the suture(s) therebetween, a distal end of the elongated tension member engaging the retention member to enable tension in the tension member to apply a proximal force to the retention member; an actuator on the proximal end of the delivery tool that causes relative axial displacement between the retention member and the suture locking device so as to remove the retention member from within the variable sized slot and permit the clamp halves to clamp the suture therebetween; and wherein the clamp halves are hinged together on a first circumferential side such that the variable sized slot defines a variable sized opening on the side opposite the first circumferential side, and wherein the biasing member comprises a plurality of C-clips arranged around the locking clamp with their free ends located on either side of the variable sized slot opposite the first circumferential side. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification