Anchoring device and method for accurate positioning and insertion of an anchor assembly
AssigneeFemselect Ltd.
InventorBoaz Harari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anchoring device including a finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining a finger mounting axis and a work channel axis angled with respect to the finger mounting axis, the finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining an aperture lying generally in an aperture plane angled with respect to the finger mounting axis and with respect to the work channel axis, an anchor insertion assembly arranged for limited axial displacement along the work channel axis with respect to the aperture so as to intersect the aperture plane and an anchor assembly including at least an anchoring portion and a flexible elongate portion attached thereto, the anchoring portion having a pre-anchoring operative orientation and an anchoring operative orientation.
Claims20
An anchoring device comprising:
- a finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining two side walls joined at an end wall, said finger mountable work channel defining assembly defining a finger mounting axis, said finger mountable work channel defining assembly defining a work channel axis along one of said side walls, said finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining an aperture lying generally in an aperture plane angled with respect to said finger mounting axis and with respect to said work channel axis;
- an anchor insertion assembly arranged for axial displacement along said work channel axis with respect to said aperture so as to intersect said aperture plane;
- and
- an anchor assembly including at least an anchoring portion and a flexible elongate portion attached thereto, said anchoring portion having a pre-anchoring operative orientation and an anchoring operative orientation,
- said anchoring portion of said anchor assembly including a penetrating element and an anchoring element;
- said penetrating element including a pointed forward portion, a neck portion and a rearward engagement portion, said rearward engagement portion including a pair of flexible retaining fingers integrally formed therewith;
- and
- said anchoring element including a pair of retaining apertures, said pair of retaining apertures arranged for insertion of said flexible retaining fingers thereinto, and for retaining said pair of flexible retaining fingers of said penetrating element therein.
A method for utilizing an anchoring device for positioning and inserting an anchoring assembly into an anchoring substrate, the anchoring device comprising:
- a finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining two side walls joined at an end wall, said finger mountable work channel defining assembly defining a finger mounting axis, said finger mountable work channel defining assembly defining a work channel axis along one of said side walls, said finger-mountable work channel defining assembly defining an aperture lying generally in an aperture plane angled with respect to said finger mounting axis and with respect to said work channel axis;
- an anchor insertion assembly arranged for axial displacement along said work channel axis with respect to said aperture so as to intersect said aperture plane;
- and
- an anchor assembly including at least an anchoring portion and a flexible elongate portion attached thereto, said anchoring portion having a pre-anchoring operative orientation and an anchoring operative orientation,
- said anchoring portion of said anchor assembly including a penetrating element and an anchoring element;
- said penetrating element including a pointed forward portion, a neck portion and a rearward engagement portion, said rearward engagement portion including a pair of flexible retaining fingers integrally formed therewith;
- and
- said anchoring element includes a pair of retaining apertures, said pair of retaining apertures arranged for insertion of said flexible retaining fingers thereinto, and for retaining said pair of flexible retaining fingers of said penetrating element therein;
- the method comprising:
- inserting a finger of a user into said finger-mountable work channel defining assembly, whereby a distal phalanx of said finger is arranged so as to engage said anchoring substrate;
- and
- inserting said anchor insertion assembly into said finger-mountable work assembly with said anchor assembly preloaded therein, along said work channel axis, such that the orientation of said finger of said user precisely defines the location of anchoring engagement of said anchor assembly with said anchoring substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.