# US 11,998,189 B2 · Releasable elongated assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,189 B2 - Document ID: US11998189B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/135,147 - Filed: 2020-12-28 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-05 - Assignees: Teleflex Life Sciences Limited - Applicants: Teleflex Life Sciences LLC - Inventors: Greg A. Walters; Michael Dotsey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998189B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/06166: {Sutures (suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M)} - A61B 17/0487: {Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks (suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122)} - A61B 17/04: for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials - A61B 17/0469: {Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery} - A61B 17/0483: {Hand-held instruments for holding sutures (A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30)} - A61B 17/12: for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels or umbilical cord - A61B 17/12022: {Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires (plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20)} - A61B 2017/00336: {with a protective sleeve, e.g. retractable or slidable} - A61B 2017/00663: {the implement being a suture} - A61B 2017/047: {having at least one proximally pointing needle located at the distal end of the instrument, e.g. for suturing trocar puncture wounds starting from inside the body} - A61B 2017/0474: {Knot pushers} - A61B 2017/0477: {with pre-tied sutures} - A61F 5/0083: {Reducing the size of the stomach, e.g. gastroplasty (surgical interventions A61B17/00)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A releasable elongated assembly includes a release member having a length and an opening that extends along the length. The releasable elongated assembly includes a first elongated element having a first coupling member disposed in the opening and a second elongated element having a second coupling member disposed in the opening opposite the first coupling member along the length. The first and second elongated elements are interlaced with each other in the opening at a location between the first coupling member and the second coupling member such that the first and second elongated elements are attached to each other. The release member is moveable from a first position where the first and second coupling members are captured in the opening to a second position where the first and second coupling members are released from the opening so as to detach the first and second elongated elements from each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A releasable elongated assembly, comprising: a release member having a length and an opening that extends along the length; a first elongated element having a first coupling member disposed in the opening, the first elongated element being folded in the opening to define a first loop adjacent to the first coupling member; and a second elongated element having a second coupling member disposed in the opening opposite the first coupling member along the length, the second elongated element being folded in the opening to define a second loop that is interlaced with the first loop to define a releasable joint, and the first elongated element and the second elongated element are interlaced with each other in the opening at a location between the first coupling member and the second coupling member such that the first and second elongated elements are attached to each other, whereby the release member is moveable from a first position where the first and second coupling members are captured in the opening to a second position where at least one of the first and second coupling members is released from the opening so as to detach the first and second elongated elements from each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the release member in a first position inhibits a) travel of the first coupling member through the second loop and b) travel of the second coupling member through the first loop, thereby attaching the first and second elongated elements to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 2, wherein movement of the release member from the first position into a second position different than the first position does not inhibit a) travel of the first coupling member through the second loop and b) travel of the second coupling member through the first loop, thereby detaching the first and second elongated elements from each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the release member includes an inner surface that defines the opening, the inner surface further defining a dimension of the opening that is perpendicular to the length, and the dimension of the opening is such that the first and second coupling members are inhibited from moving past each other in the opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the release member defines a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the first elongated element is a first length of material that extends out of the first end, and the second elongated element is a second length of material that extends out of the second end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elongated element is a first length of material and the second elongated element is a second length of material identical to the first length of material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elongated element is a first length of material and the second elongated element is a second length of material, and the first and second lengths of material are different. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elongated element is a first length of material and the second elongated element is a second length of material, and each length of material is one of a cord, a rope, a plied strand, a monofilament strand, a multifilament strand, a braid, a wire, a cable, or a suture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling members each define a maximum cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a respective cross-sectional dimension of the first and second elongated elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling members are first and second rigid elements disposed on the first and second elongated elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein each elongated element is a length of material and each coupling member is a rigid portion of the length of material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elongated element is a rigid rod and the first coupling member is a hook disposed at the end of the rigid rod. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 12, wherein the second elongated element is a second rigid rod and the second coupling member is in the form of a second hook. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first coupling member is a first body attached to the first elongated element and the second coupling member is a second body attached the second elongated element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 14, wherein the first and second bodies each define one of a substantially spherical shape, a substantially cylindrical shape, a substantially cuboidal shape, or a substantially ovoidal shape. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 1, wherein the first coupling member is a first knot and the second coupling member is a secondknot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The releasable elongated assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second knots are monolithic with the respect to the first and second elongated elements.