# US 10,441,267 B2 · Tissue anchors with hemostasis seal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,267 B2 - Document ID: US10441267B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/198,639 - Filed: 2018-11-21 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-02 - Assignees: 4Tech Inc. - Applicants: 4Tech Inc. - Inventors: Michael Gilmore; Paolo Denti; John Mullins; Charlotte Murphy; Kevin Lynn; Andrea Guidotti; Hugo Vanermen; Thomas Campbell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441267B2 ## CPC - 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)} - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 17/0057: {Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect (sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009)} - A61B 17/068: Surgical staplers {, e.g. containing multiple staples or clamps}({staplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105;} for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; {staplers in general B25C5/00}) - A61B 17/10: for applying or removing wound clamps {, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple (A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068)}; Wound clamp magazines - A61F 2/2418: {Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents} - A61F 2/2427: {Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation} - A61F 2/2442: {Annuloplasty rings or inserts for correcting the valve shape; Implants for improving the function of a native heart valve} - A61F 2/2478: {Passive devices for improving the function of the heart muscle, i.e. devices for reshaping the external surface of the heart, e.g. bags, strips or bands} - A61F 2/82: Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents (stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07) - A61F 2/915: with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other - A61B 2017/00243: {cardiac} - A61B 2017/00309: {Cut-outs or slits} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/00575: {for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects} - A61B 2017/00592: {Elastic or resilient implements} - A61B 2017/00615: {Implements with an occluder on one side of the opening and holding means therefor on the other} - A61B 2017/00632: {Occluding a cavity, i.e. closing a blind opening} - A61B 2017/0409: {Instruments for applying suture anchors} - A61B 2017/0417: {T-fasteners} - A61B 2017/0419: {H-fasteners} - A61B 2017/0443: {the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state} - A61B 2017/0464: {for soft tissue} - A61B 2017/0496: {for tensioning sutures} - A61B 2017/0645: {being elastically deformed for insertion} - A61B 2017/0649: {Coils or spirals} - A61F 2220/0008: Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body - A61F 2220/0075: sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable - A61F 2230/0091: helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract Apparatus for use with a deployment tool is provided. The apparatus includes a tissue anchor configured to be delivered in a constrained state within the deployment tool. The tissue anchor includes a shaft and a tissue-coupling element, which extends from a distal end of the shaft and is configured to be advanced through an incision in a wall of a cardiac chamber and be coupled to a far outer side of the wall. A spring is disposed proximal to a sealing element, and is configured to distally push the sealing element against an inner side of the wall to seal the incision. Other embodiments are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for use with a deployment tool, the apparatus comprising: a first tissue anchor configured to be delivered in a constrained state within the deployment tool, the first tissue anchor comprising a shaft, wherein a distal portion of the first tissue anchor extends from a distal end of the shaft and is configured to be advanced through an incision in a wall of a cardiac chamber and be coupled to a far outer side of the wall; a seal; a spring, which is disposed proximal to the seal, and which is configured to distally push the seal against an inner side of the wall to seal the incision; a second tissue anchor separate and distinct from the first tissue anchor; and one or more tethers, which couple the first and the second tissue anchors together, wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the second tissue anchor is coupled to the one or more tethers at a location along the one or more tethers, wherein the location is proximal to both the seal and the spring. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal is annular. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible elongate tension member fixed to the distal portion of the tissue anchor, wherein the flexible elongate tension member passes through the seal and the spring. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the distal portion of the tissue anchor comprises a wire, and wherein the flexible elongate tension member is fixed to the wire. ### Claim 7 Apparatus comprising: a deployment tool; and an implant configured to be delivered in the deployment tool to a cardiac chamber, and comprising: a tissue anchor configured to be delivered in a constrained state within the deployment tool, the tissue anchor comprising a shaft, wherein a distal portion of the tissue anchor extends from a distal end of the shaft and is configured to be advanced through an incision in a wall of the cardiac chamber and be coupled to a far outer side of the wall; a seal; and a spring, which is disposed proximal to the seal, and which is configured to distally push the seal against an inner side of the wall to seal the incision, wherein the tissue anchor, the seal, and the spring are configured to be entirely released from the deployment tool upon deployment of the implant from the deployment tool. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising one or more tethers coupled to the tissue anchor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the seal is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the spring is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tissue anchor is a first tissue anchor, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second tissue anchor separate and distinct from the first tissue anchor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second tissue anchor is couplable to the first tissue anchor by the one or more tethers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second tissue anchor is coupled to the first tissue anchor by the one or more tethers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second tissue anchor comprises a stent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the seal is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the spring is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a flexible elongate tension member fixed to the distal portion of the tissue anchor, wherein the flexible elongate tension member passes through the seal and the spring. ### Claim 18 Apparatus for use with a deployment tool, the apparatus comprising: a tissue anchor configured to be delivered in a constrained state within the deployment tool, the tissue anchor comprising a shaft, wherein a distal portion of the tissue anchor extends from a distal end of the shaft and is configured to be advanced through an incision in a wall of a cardiac chamber and be coupled to a far outer side of the wall; a seal; a spring, which is disposed proximal to the seal, and which is configured to distally push the seal against an inner side of the wall to seal the incision; a flexible elongate tension member fixed to the distal portion of the tissue anchor, wherein the flexible elongate tension member passes through the seal and the spring; and one or more tethers coupled to the tissue anchor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the seal is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the spring is disposed around a portion of the shaft. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the distal portion of the tissue anchor comprises a wire, and wherein the flexible elongate tension member is fixed to the wire. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the tissue anchor is a first tissue anchor, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second tissue anchor separate and distinct from the first tissue anchor, and wherein the one or more tethers couple the first and the second tissue anchors together.