Anchor magazine

A system comprising:

• an anchor driver;
• a housing, shaped to define a channel having an anchor-storage zone and a proximal opening configured to provide access for the anchor driver to the anchor-storage zone;
• a tissue anchor, stored in the anchor-storage zone and slidable through the channel;
• and
• a retaining member:
• having a retaining state in which the retaining member is configured to retain the tissue anchor in the anchor-storage zone,
• being configured, by moving in response to a proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, to allow the tissue anchor to leave the anchor-storage zone in response to the proximally-directed force, the proximally-directed force being greater than a pre-determined threshold force, and
• being configured such that the threshold force is greater than 300 grams force.

A system comprising:

• an anchor driver;
• a housing, shaped to define a channel having an anchor-storage zone and a proximal opening configured to provide access for the anchor driver to the anchor-storage zone;
• a tissue anchor, stored in the anchor-storage zone and slidable through the channel;
• and
• a retaining member:
• having a retaining state in which the retaining member is configured to retain the tissue anchor in the anchor-storage zone, and
• being configured, by moving in response to a proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, to allow the tissue anchor to leave the anchor-storage zone in response to the proximally-directed force, the proximally-directed force being greater than a pre-determined threshold force,
• wherein:
• in the retaining state, at least a portion of the retaining member obstructs proximal movement of the tissue anchor by being disposed within the channel,
• the housing is shaped to define a chamber that is in fluid communication with the channel,
• at least part of the retaining member is configured to slide within the chamber in response to the proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor,
• the retaining member is configured such that, in response to the proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, a second portion of the retaining member moves out of the housing,
• the housing is shaped to define a cavity that is in fluid communication with the chamber,
• at least a portion of the retaining member is resilient,
• the retaining member is shaped to define a detent,
• in the retaining state, the resilience of at least the portion of the retaining member holds the detent within the cavity, and
• the retaining member is configured to deform in response to the proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, such that the detent exits the cavity.

A system comprising:

• an anchor driver;
• a housing, shaped to define a channel having an anchor-storage zone and a proximal opening configured to provide access for the anchor driver to the anchor-storage zone;
• a tissue anchor, stored in the anchor-storage zone and slidable through the channel;
• and
• a retaining member:
• having a retaining state in which the retaining member is configured to retain the tissue anchor in the anchor-storage zone, and
• being configured, by moving in response to a proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, to allow the tissue anchor to leave the anchor-storage zone in response to the proximally-directed force, the proximally-directed force being greater than a pre-determined threshold force,
• wherein:
• in the retaining state, at least a portion of the retaining member obstructs proximal movement of the tissue anchor by being disposed within the channel,
• the housing is shaped to define a chamber that is in fluid communication with the channel,
• at least part of the retaining member is configured to slide within the chamber in response to the proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor,
• the retaining member is configured such that, in response to the proximally-directed force applied to the tissue anchor, a second portion of the retaining member moves out of the housing, and
• the chamber is in fluid communication with the channel at a distal end of the chamber, and has a proximal-distal longitudinal axis that is disposed at between 5 and 30 degrees from a proximal-distal longitudinal axis of the channel.