Apparatus and method for delivering surgical tissue connectors into an abdominal cavity and removing the surgical tissue connectors from the abdominal cavity
AssigneeFreehold Surgical, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Smith, Darren R. Sherman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and its method of use in delivering surgical tissue connectors into an area of the body and removing the surgical tissue connectors from the body area. The tissue connectors are connected to a base which allows for easy adjustment of the tissue connectors along a cord. The base includes a locking mechanism which impinges a sliding knot in the cord, and, in alternate configurations of the locking mechanism and knot, impinges on the sliding knot to prevent sliding in a loosening direction but allow sliding in a tightening direction, or allows sliding in a loosening direction.
Claims15
A tissue connector apparatus comprising:
- a tissue connector (14), having a base (68) with a side surface (74), the side surface (74) having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the base (68), the base (68) having a radius dimension between the center axis and the side surface, the base having a proximal end surface (78) and a distal end surface (80) at axially opposite ends of the side surface (74);
- a hook (72) secured to the base (68);
- and
- a cord (16, 54, 56, 114, 112, 116) characterized by a first end (54) and a second end (56), and said cord second end characterized by a first portion (114), a second portion (116) and an intermediate portion (112), said cord connected to and extending from the base proximal end surface (78);
- and
- a releasable one-way cord lock through which the cord second end (56, 114, 112, 116) passes, said releasable one-way cord lock being operable to lock the cord second end (56, 114, 112, 116) to the base (68) and thereby adjust the length of the cord (56, 114) extending from the tissue connector (14);
- wherein the tissue connector (14) has an interior bore (102), and a pin (106) extending across the interior bore, and an intermediate portion of the cord (112) is tied in a knot around the pin (106), thereby attaching the cord second end (54) to the tissue connector (14);
- and
- the releasable one-way cord lock comprises a lock pin (126) axially slidably disposed in a first axially extending slot (124) disposed in the base, said lock pin (126) extending across the interior bore of the base (68), and a sleeve (128) surrounding the base side surface (74) and axially slidable between first and second positions relative to the first base (68), said sleeve (128) secured to the lock pin (126), whereby movement of the sleeve (128) causes the lock pin (126) to engage against the cord intermediate portion (112) to prevent movement of the cord first end (54) away from the proximal end surface (78) of the tissue connector (14).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.