# US 11,109,857 B2 · Soft tissue repair device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,109,857 B2 - Document ID: US11109857B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/255,300 - Filed: 2019-01-23 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2004-11-05 - Assignees: Biomet Sports Medicine, LLC - Applicants: Biomet Sports Medicine, LLC - Inventors: Kevin T. Stone; Nathan M. Sautter; Brian K. Berelsman; Jeffery D. Arnett; Joshua A. Butters; Dylan M. Hushka; Nicholas R. Slater - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11109857B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/06166: {Sutures (suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M)} - 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 17/0469: {Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery} - A61B 2017/0406: {Pledgets} - A61B 2017/0409: {Instruments for applying suture anchors} - A61B 2017/0414: {having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening} - A61B 2017/0417: {T-fasteners} - A61B 2017/042: {plastically deformed during insertion} - A61B 2017/0445: {cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument} - A61B 2017/0454: {the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture} - A61B 2017/0464: {for soft tissue} - A61B 2017/2923: {Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion} - A61B 2090/062: {penetration depth} - A61B 2090/0811: {for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A soft tissue repair device can include a housing having a handle, a deployment system having an actuation member, and an insertion system having an inserter and a slider. The slider can be coupled to the actuation member and movable relative to the inserter between deployed and retracted positions. First and second anchors can be carried on an external surface of the slider such that the anchors are spaced apart and portions of the anchors are coaxial with the slider and each other. A flexible strand can couple the anchors. The insertion system can cooperate with the deployment system to move the slider to the deployed position to deploy the first anchor upon activating the actuation member a first time, and to move the slider to the deployed position from the retracted position to deploy the second anchor upon actuating the actuation member a second time after the first time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 and 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, wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the slider extends distally past the second flexible tubular anchor toward the first flexible tubular anchor in the longitudinal bore of the inserter, wherein the cam is pivotable about the pivot point: (i) a first time and in a first rotational direction to advance the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter for deploying the first flexible tubular anchor from the inserter at the first location along the outer surface of the meniscus; (ii) a second time and in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction to retract the slider relative to the second flexible tubular anchor within the longitudinal bore of the inserter; and (iii) a third time and back in the first rotational direction to advance the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter for deploying the second flexible tubular anchor from the inserter at the second location along the outer surface of the meniscus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1, wherein the inserter has a pointed distal end for piercing through meniscal tissue. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of teeth correspond to predetermined translation distances of the slider. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1, wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the slider extends longitudinally through a longitudinal bore of the second flexible tubular anchor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 4, wherein the slider includes an anchor engagement portion distal of the proximal portion, and wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the anchor engagement portion is positioned between the second flexible tubular anchor and the first flexible tubular anchor in the longitudinal bore of the inserter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 5, wherein the cam is pivotable about the pivot point the second time to retract the slider within the longitudinal bore of the inserter and move the anchor engagement portion in a proximal direction through the longitudinal bore of the second flexible tubular anchor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 5, wherein the slider has a first width at the proximal portion and a second width at the anchor engagement portion that is greater than the first width. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 5, wherein the anchor engagement portion includes a flattened area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 8, wherein the flattened area has a thickness that is less than an outside diameter of a portion of the slider adjacent the flattened area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1 further comprising an outer tube, the outer tube comprising an open distal end and a longitudinal bore that extends through the outer tube to the open distal end, the inserter received in the longitudinal bore of the outer tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1 further comprising a stop located in the longitudinal bore of the inserter, and wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the second flexible elongated tube anchor is located between the first flexible elongated tube anchor and the stop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 1, wherein the slider includes an anchor engagement portion with a flattened area distal of the proximal portion, the slider having a first width at the proximal portion and a second width at the anchor engagement portion that is greater than the first width, the flattened area having a thickness that is less than an outside diameter of a portion of the slider adjacent the flattened area. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the second plurality of teeth correspond to predetermined translation distances of the slider. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein, in the pre-deployment condition of the meniscal tissue repair device, the slider extends longitudinally through a longitudinal bore of the second flexible tubular anchor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 15, wherein, from the first deployment position, the slider is retractable within the longitudinal bore of the inserter to move the anchor engagement portion in a proximal direction through the longitudinal bore of the second flexible tubular anchor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the slider has a first width at the proximal portion and a second width at the anchor engagement portion that is greater than the first width. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the anchor engagement portion includes a flattened area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 18, wherein the flattened area has a thickness that is less than an outside diameter of a portion of the slider adjacent the flattened area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The meniscal tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the engagement of the first flexible tubular anchor with the anchor engagement portion includes the anchor engagement portion contacting an intermediate portion of the first flexible tubular anchor, the intermediate portion located between a first end and a second end of the first flexible tubular anchor.