# US 12,213,870 B2 · Delivery device for implanting knotless micro-suture anchors and anchor arrays for attachment of soft tissue to bone

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- Number: US 12,213,870 B2
- Document ID: US12213870B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/827,094
- Filed: 2022-05-27
- Published: 2022-10-13
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-08
- Assignees: Integrity Orthopaedics, Inc.
- Applicants: Integrity Orthopaedics, Inc.
- Inventors: Zak Zenz-Olson; Nathaniel Van Tran; Thomas A. Westling; Howard W. Harris
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213870B2

## CPC

- 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 17/0487: {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)}
- A61F 2/0811: {Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments}
- A61B 17/1604: {Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps}
- A61B 2017/00367: {Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like}
- A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/0053: {Loading magazines or sutures into applying tools}
- A61B 2017/0404: {Buttons}
- 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 2017/0416: {Packages or dispensers for suture anchors or for anchor applicators}
- A61B 2017/0417: {T-fasteners}
- A61B 2017/0427: {having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body}
- A61B 2017/0446: {Means for attaching and blocking the suture in the suture anchor}
- A61B 2017/0458: {Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot}
- A61B 2017/0459: {Multiple holes in the anchor through which the suture extends and locking the suture when tension is applied}
- A61B 2017/0464: {for soft tissue}
- A61B 2017/0488: {Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks}
- A61B 2017/0496: {for tensioning sutures}
- A61B 2017/06142: {having needle- or suture- retaining members, e.g. holding tabs or needle parks}
- A61B 2090/037: {with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter}
- A61F 2/0805: {Implements for inserting tendons or ligaments}
- A61F 2002/0817: {Structure of the anchor}
- A61F 2002/0829: {without deformation of anchor parts, e.g. fixation screws on bone surface, extending barbs, cams, butterflies, spring-loaded pins}
- A61F 2002/0888: {Anchor in or on a blind hole or on the bone surface without formation of a tunnel}
- 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 delivery device for transtendinous implantation of a toggle-type suture anchor into bone is disclosed. The device includes a proximal housing having an outer tubular shaft extending distally with a lumen therethrough. An anchor delivery tube extends through the lumen of the outer tubular shaft having a proximal end affixed to the proximal housing. The anchor delivery tube includes a nub portion that is used to insert through the tendon and partly into bone to maintain registration with a bone hole into which an anchor is placed. A bone punch assembly extends through the lumen of the anchor delivery tube and the nub portion with a pointed distal end. When the bone punch is fully inserted, the pointed distal end extends a distance distal of the distal end of the nub portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A delivery device for transtendinous implantation of a toggle-type suture anchor into bone, the device comprising:
a handle assembly including a housing and an outer tubular shaft extending distally therefrom with a lumen therethrough;
an anchor delivery tube having a distal nub portion, the anchor delivery tube having a lumen extending therethrough and being slidably disposed within the lumen of the outer tubular shaft and having a proximal end terminating within the housing with means for selectively moving the anchor delivery tube between a first extended position with the nub projecting beyond the outer tubular shaft and a second retracted position with the nub withdrawn into the outer tubular shaft; and
an anchor loading chamber in communication with a proximal portion of the lumen of the anchor delivery tube for receiving a toggle-type anchor therein.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the anchor delivery tube includes a longitudinal slot over its length to allow passage of sutures therethrough.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The delivery device of claim 2, wherein the outer tubular shaft includes a longitudinal slot over its length in alignment with the longitudinal slot of the anchor delivery tube.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a bone punch assembly extending distally into the proximal end of the housing assembly and into the lumen of the anchor delivery tube and the nub portion with a pointed distal end wherein the bone punch assembly is moveable within the lumen of the anchor delivery tube between a fully inserted configuration in which the pointed distal end of the bone punch terminates a distance distal of the distal end of the nub portion and a retracted configuration in which the pointed distal end is withdrawn proximally of the distal end of the nub portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the bone punch assembly blocks the anchor loading chamber when in the fully inserted configuration and allows access to the chamber when retracted to the retracted configuration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The delivery device of claim 5, wherein the bone punch assembly has a proximal end extending proximally from the housing assembly with a flat surface for pounding the pointed distal end into bone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The delivery device of claim 6, further comprising a trigger lever connected via a linkage to the bone punch which applies a retracting force to the bone punch when squeezed to pull the punch from bone, thereby moving the bone punch assembly toward the retracted configuration.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the nub portion is a semi-circular member conforming to an outer surface of the bone punch when in the fully inserted configuration.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the nub portion has a wall thickness of less than or equal to about 0.0075 inches.

### Claim 10

A delivery device for transtendinous implantation of a toggle-type suture anchor into bone, the device comprising:
a handle assembly including an outer tubular shaft affixed thereto and extending distally with a lumen therethrough;
an anchor delivery tube slidably extending through the lumen of the outer tubular shaft having a distal end terminating in a nub portion and a proximal end connected to means for sliding the anchor delivery tube between a first retracted position with the nub portion inside the outer tubular shaft and a second distally extended position with the nub portion projecting beyond the end of the outer tubular shaft; and
an anchor loading chamber in communication with the proximal end of the anchor delivery tube for receiving a toggle-type anchor therein.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The delivery device of claim 10, wherein the anchor delivery tube includes a longitudinal slot over its length to allow passage of sutures.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The delivery device of claim 11, wherein the outer tubular shaft includes a slot over its length to allow passage of sutures.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The delivery device of claim 10, further comprising a bone punch assembly extending into the lumen of the anchor delivery tube and the nub portion with a pointed distal end and a proximal end extending past the proximal end of the delivery device with a flat knob-like proximal end for pounding the pointed distal end into bone; the bone punch assembly being moveable within the lumen of the anchor delivery tube between at least an extended position in which the pointed distal end extends a distance distal of the distal end of the nub portion, and a retracted position in which the pointed distal end is withdrawn proximally of the distal end of the nub portion.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The delivery device of claim 13, wherein the bone punch assembly includes a proximal end having a proximal head portion and a distal head portion, the distal head portion releasably securable to the proximal end of the housing assembly with the proximal head portion having the flat pounding surface moveable between a latched fully extended position for inserting into bone and a partially retracted position with the distal tip partially extended from the outer tubular member to probe tendon and bone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The delivery device of claim 13, wherein, when in the extended position, the bone punch assembly blocks the anchor loading chamber, and when in the retracted position, the bone punch assembly allows access to the anchor loading chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The delivery device of claim 15, further comprising a trigger lever connected via a linkage to the bone punch which applies a retracting force to the bone punch when squeezed to pull the bone punch assembly from the extended position toward the retracted position.

### Claim 17

A delivery device for transtendinous implantation of a toggle-type suture anchor into bone, the device comprising:
a proximal housing including an elongate tube extending distally therefrom with a lumen therethrough, the proximal housing including a handle, a trigger and a slot for receiving the toggle-type suture anchor;
an anchor delivery tube extending through the lumen of the elongate tube and having a proximal end in the proximal housing, the anchor delivery tube ending in a nub portion, wherein the anchor delivery tube is moveable relative to the proximal housing and elongate tube to selectively extend or retract the nub portion from a distal end of the elongate tube wherein the proximal housing contains means for selectively positioning the nub portion in a first retracted position or a second extended position; and
a magazine carrying cartridges and each cartridge carrying an anchor therein, the anchor pre-strung along a working suture with the delivery device having a mating surface for removable attachment of the magazine to the proximal housing.