US 11,589,870 B2 · Implant devices with a pre-set pulley system

Abstract

The problem of positioning one or more nerve ends inside a sheathing implant is solved by the use of a pulley and cinching systems that pull a nerve end into an implant and that can adjust the diameter of an implant to conform the implant to the diameter of the nerve, respectively. The pulley system utilizes a suture that traverses the wall of an implant leaving one end outside the implant wall and another end that can be attached to a nerve. Pulling the suture end outside the wall pulls the nerve attached to the other end of the suture into the bore of the implant. A cinching system utilizes specially arranged sutures within the wall of an implant to tighten or cinch up the wall after a nerve is placed therein, so as to conform at least part of the implant to the diameter of the nerve. Methods are also disclosed by which such pulley systems can be formed during an intraoperative procedure.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

implanting an implant into a patient, wherein the implant comprises a wall that defines a bore having at least one aperture, and at least one pulley system pre-set into the wall before delivery of the implant into the patient, wherein the at least one pulley system includes a flexible strand having a tag end and a needle end;
attaching a tissue to the needle end;
pulling the tag end through the wall of the implant until the tissue attached to the needle end passes through the at least one aperture and into the bore of the implant;
and
securing the tag end outside the wall to inhibit movement of the tissue within the bore.

2 more elements

A method, comprising:

implanting an implant into a patient, wherein the implant comprises:
a wall that defines a bore having at least one aperture, and wherein the wall has a length;
and
a cinching system pre-set into the wall before delivery of the implant into the patient, wherein the cinching system comprises:
at least one flexible strand having at least one tag end, wherein a first flexible strand of the at least one flexible strand traverses a first region of the wall in at least two locations so that the first flexible strand crosses into the bore of the implant at least twice and forms a stitch along an exterior of the wall and along a portion of the length of the wall, and wherein the first flexible strand traverses a second region of the wall in at least two locations, such that the at least one tag end extends through the wall to an exterior of the implant, wherein the second region is spaced apart from the first region in a direction generally perpendicular to the length of the wall;
positioning tissue through one or more of the at least one apertures and within the implant;
pulling the at least one tag end of the first flexible strand so as to pull the first region and the second region of the wall closer to each other to form a puckering of the wall to reduce a size of the bore;
and
securing the at least one tag end to secure the reduced size of the bore.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Implant devices with a pre-set pulley system

Life of this patent

Implant devices with a pre-set pulley system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28