System and method for transporting suture
AssigneesSmith & Nephew, Inc., Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics AG, Smith & Nephew Asia Pacific Pte. Limited
InventorsMason Bettenga, Dirk Wunderle, Alexander Iwan Seidl, Pascal Boileau, John Albert Slusarz, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suture transport system is disclosure for placing a flexible member along a tunnel, the system including a means of transporting a flexible member along a tunnel from a first opening in the tunnel through to a second opening at an opposite end of the tunnel, such that the flexible member extends from both the first and second opening. The system also includes a means of capturing a portion of the flexible member at the second opening, to inhibit the flexible member from retracting into the tunnel second opening. The means of capturing includes an aperture for capturing the portion of the flexible member.
Claims12
A shuttle system comprising:
- a means of transporting a flexible member along a tunnel through a tissue from a first opening of the tunnel through to a second opening at an opposite end of the tunnel, such that the flexible member extends from both the first and second openings;
- a guide having an aperture for receiving the flexible member therethrough after exiting the second opening, the aperture configured to cooperate with the flexible member and capture a portion of the flexible member at the second opening and wherein the guide includes a handle configured to draw the flexible member portion, once captured, around the tissue, away from the second opening and towards the first opening, wherein the guide aperture includes at least one flexible arm configured to flex and allow passage of the flexible member through the guide aperture and capture the flexible member.
A suture transport system for placing a shuttling flexible member along a bone tunnel, the system comprising:
- a flexible member;
- a flexible member insertion instrument configured to insert the flexible member into a first end of the bone tunnel through the bone tunnel and out of a second end of the bone tunnel;
- and
- a guide including an aperture for receiving the insertion instrument and flexible member therethrough at the tunnel second end and configured to capture the flexible member within the aperture, wherein the guide aperture includes at least one flexible arm, and wherein the flexible member insertion instrument is configured to flex the at least one flexible arm to place a portion of the flexible member through the aperture.
A suture transport system for coupling a surgical component to a target tissue, the system comprising:
- a flexible member;
- an insertion instrument having a handle end and a distal end, the distal end configured to engage the flexible member, the insertion instrument configured to insert the flexible member through the target tissue, from a first external surface of the target tissue to a second external surface of the target tissue;
- and
- a capturing tool including an aperture and a handle, the aperture configured to be placed at the target tissue second external surface and receive the insertion instrument distal end therethrough, the aperture including a spring arm configured to be deflected by the insertion instrument distal end to receive the flexible member therethrough and then spring back upon retraction of the insertion instrument distal end, to capture the flexible member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.