Soft tissue repair device and method

A meniscal tissue repair device, comprising:

• a housing;
• an inserter extending from the housing, the inserter including an open distal end and a longitudinal bore that extends through the inserter to the open distal end;
• a first flexible tubular anchor deployable from the inserter at a first location along an outer surface of a meniscus;
• a second flexible tubular anchor deployable from the inserter at a second location along the outer surface of the meniscus, wherein, in a pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the second flexible tubular anchor is located proximal of the first flexible tubular anchor along the inserter;
• a suture coupling the first flexible tubular anchor to the second flexible tubular anchor;
• a cam pivotable about a pivot point that is located within the housing, the cam including a first plurality of teeth that extend in an arcuate manner along the cam;
• a cam follower including a second plurality of teeth that extend in a linear manner along the cam follower, the second plurality of teeth meshing with the first plurality of teeth such that pivoting the cam about the pivot point causes the cam follower to move linearly within the housing;
• and
• a slider slidably received in the longitudinal bore of the inserter, the slider including a proximal portion coupled to the cam follower such that linear movement of the cam follower within the housing causes the slider to move linearly within the longitudinal bore of the inserter, the slider further including an anchor engagement portion distal of the proximal portion, wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the slider extends distally through the second flexible tubular anchor toward the first flexible tubular anchor to position the anchor engagement portion between the second flexible tubular anchor and the first flexible tubular anchor in the longitudinal bore of the inserter,
• wherein, from the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the cam is pivotable about the pivot point in a first rotational direction to advance the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter to a first deployment position and thereby force the first flexible tubular anchor from the inserter via an engagement of the first flexible tubular anchor with the anchor engagement portion,
• wherein the cam is pivotable about the pivot point in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction to retract the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter from the first deployment position to a second deployment position and thereby move the anchor engagement portion proximally through at least part of the second flexible tubular anchor, and
• wherein the cam is pivotable about the pivot point in the first rotational direction to advance the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter from the second deployment position to a third deployment position and thereby force the second flexible tubular anchor from the inserter via an engagement of the second flexible tubular anchor with the anchor engagement portion.