Devices for delivering helical anchors

A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:

• an elongate tubular outer driver;
• an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
• the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
• cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway;
• and
• an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
• wherein the cooperating features comprise at least one protrusion protruding in the driver passageway from one of the inner and outer drivers and a protrusion extending from the proximal end of each of the anchors slidably received in a slot within the driver passageway from the other of the one of the inner and outer drivers.

A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:

• an elongate tubular outer driver;
• an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
• the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
• cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway;
• and
• an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
• wherein the cooperating features comprise a non-circular mounting portion on the proximal end of each anchor and a corresponding non-circular inside configuration of the outer driver.

A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:

• an elongate tubular outer driver;
• an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
• the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
• cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway;
• and
• an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
• wherein the inner and outer drivers are flexible, and
• wherein the actuator is operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating one or both of the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially:
• a) rotate one of the inner and outer drivers to advance a first anchor of the plurality of anchors from the driver passageway;
• b) rotate both of the inner and outer drivers to drive the distal end of the first anchor into tissue;
• c) rotate one of the inner and outer drivers to release the proximal end of the first anchor;
• and
• d) repeat steps a) to c) one or more times to deliver one or more additional anchors of the plurality of anchors.

A device for insertion into a lumen of an elongated catheter having a proximal and distal end, the device comprising:

• an elongate tubular outer driver sized to fit into the catheter lumen;
• an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
• a plurality of anchors positioned within the driver passageway adjacent respective driving sections within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
• cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway;
• and
• an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into biological tissue;
• wherein the cooperating features comprise:
• a slot extending along a length of each driving section of the driving sections, the slot configured to direct a respective anchor of the plurality of anchors helically along the respective driving section;
• wherein each slot is distributed helically around the respective driving section;
• and
• a torque section connected to a proximal end of the driving section, the torque section configured to transmit torque between the actuator and the driving section.