Abstract:
A suturing assembly configured to place suture in tissue includes a handle having an actuator, a shaft coupled to the handle, and a head coupled to the shaft. The head includes a proximal portion housing a needle movable through a needle exit port and a distal end spaced apart from the proximal portion by a throat, the distal end defining a cavity. The actuator is configured to move the needle out of the needle exit port formed in the proximal portion of the head and across the throat to engage a capsule disposed in the cavity formed in the distal end of the head, the capsule attached to the suture.
Abstract:
An incontinence treatment device includes a synthetic urethra and a cuff separate from the synthetic urethra. The synthetic urethra provides a flow diameter that is configured to be spliced into a natural urethra such that the flow diameter is aligned with a lumen of the natural urethra for passage of urine. A closure device includes a pump communicating between a reservoir and the cuff. The cuff is attachable around an outer circumference of the synthetic urethra. The pump is operable to move a liquid from the reservoir to inflate the cuff, the inflated cuff adapted to circumferentially compress and constrict the flow diameter of the synthetic urethra.
Abstract:
A suture fixation system includes a suture assembly having an anchor, an introducer, and a delivery device. The introducer is attachable to a finger of a person and includes a platform attached to an exterior of the introducer and a zip line attached to the platform. The delivery device is movable along the zip line and configured to removably retain the anchor. The introducer allows the finger to identify a target landmark within a patient and the delivery device is movable along the zip line and attachable to the platform to position the anchor for insertion to the target landmark. A method of fixing a suture to tissue of a patient includes placing an introducer onto a finger, the introducer including a zip line trailing from a proximal end of the introducer. The method additionally includes identifying a landmark with the finger, guiding a delivery device along the zip line toward the introducer, where the delivery device maintaining an anchor attached to a suture line, and ejecting the anchor from the delivery device and into the tissue of the patient.
Abstract:
A tissue anchor has a body, protrusions from the body, and a tissue engaging fin. The body is oriented on a longitudinal axis and has a leading tip, a leading end portion extending from the leading tip, a trailing end portion connected to the leading end portion, with the trailing end portion terminating in a trailing tip that is located opposite of the leading tip. A first anchor width measured between the protrusions is greater than a second anchor width measured at the trailing end portion of the body. The tissue engaging fin is integrated with the leading end portion of the body and oriented in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the first and second protrusions. The tissue engaging fin has a fin width and is provided with an eyelet formed through the fin width. A gripping tab is removably attached to the tissue engaging fin.
Abstract:
A tissue anchor system includes a support material, a suture engaged with the support material, an anchor, and an introducer. The anchor has a body, a fin extending from the body in a first direction with an eyelet formed in the fin, a pair of radial barrels extending from the body in a radial direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a gripping tab removably attached to the fin. The suture is engaged with the eyelet of the fin. The introducer has a cannula with a bore sized to receive the body of the anchor and a slot formed in a wall of the cannula. The slot is sized to receive the fin of the anchor, and an ejection mechanism provided to eject the anchor out of the cannula.
Abstract:
A suturing assembly includes shaft attached between a handle and a head. The handle includes a brace and an actuator attached to the handle, where the actuator has a neutral position that is distal the brace. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis of the assembly. The head includes a proximal portion housing a needle that is movable through a needle exit port, and a distal end spaced apart from the proximal portion by a throat. The distal end is radially offset from the longitudinal axis and defines a cavity. Movement of the actuator from the neutral position to the brace moves the needle both in a first direction out of the needle exit port into the cavity and in a second direction out of the cavity and into the needle exit port.
Abstract:
A suture system includes a tool (50) and a suture assembly. The tool includes a head having a proximal portion (112) housing a needle (62) and a distal end (64) spaced apart from the proximal portion by a throat. The needle is movable through a needle exit port (123) formed in the proximal portion (132) of the head to a cavity (134) formed in the distal end of the head. The suture assembly includes a length of suture (154) connected to a tubular leader. The tubular leader (152) includes an annular wall extending between an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a clasp having a first portion disposed between the interior surface and the exterior surface of the annular wall and a second portion extending out of the annular wall and adapted to secure the suture against the annular wall.
Abstract:
A suture system spool (30) is configured to retain suture (26) having a suture diameter and tension the suture between a distal and proximal end portions of a suturing tool. The spool includes a monolithically formed disc (100) defining a central opening (at 106) that pro¬ vides the disc with an inside diameter (106). The disc includes a base (110) and a flap (112) joined with the base at the inside diameter, and the flap extends from the inside diameter to an outer periphery of the disc to define a cavity (114) between the flap and the base. The flap is spaced away from the base at a location between the inside diameter (S) and the outer periphery of the disc by a factor of at least two times the suture diameter, and the flap is spaced away from the base at the outer periphery of the disc by a distance (G) that is approximately equal to the suture diameter.
Abstract:
A suture system (500) includes a tool and a suture assembly (502). The tool includes a head (350) having a proximal portion (365) housing a needle (62) and a distal end (354) spaced apart from the proximal portion by a throat (360), where the needle is movable through a needle exit port (362) formed in the proximal portion of the head to a cavity formed in the distal end of the head. The suture assembly includes a length of suture connected (506) to a suture cap (504) that includes an annular wall (510) that forms a hollow tubular section (512), and a tubular sleeve (514) inserted in the annular wall, with an end of the length of suture inserted into and connected to the tubular sleeve. The needle is operable to engage with the hollow tubular section of the suture cap and move the suture cap between the cavity and the needle exit port.
Abstract:
A suture assembly (20) configured to load a suture instrument (112) with suture (24) includes a cap (22) attached to an end of the suture (24), a suture container (26) configured to retain a portion of the suture (24), and a cap retainer (28) having a wall (30) and a suture channel (32) formed in the wall (30). The suture channel (32) is configured to receive a length of the suture (24), and the wall (30) is configured to deny passage of the cap (22) into the suture channel (32) and align the cap (22) with the length of the suture (24) for loading into the suture instrument (112).