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US 2014/0180337 A1Published application
System for securing sutures
AssigneeEdwards Lifesciences Corporation
InventorsManouchehr A. Miraki, Yoon H. Kwon, William Biller, Kevin Dang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are systems and methods for securing sutures that obviate the need for tying knots. Instead of tying two ends of a suture or two sutures together with a knot, two or more suture portions can be fused or cauterized together using heat. A device can be applied to adjacent suture portions that heats the suture portions and causes the suture portions to fuse together, effectively securing the suture portions together without a knot.
Claims22
A suture securement device, comprising:
- a handle;
- an elongated outer shaft having a proximal end portion coupled to the handle and a distal end portion opposite the proximal end;
- an inner shaft movable proximally and distally within the outer shaft;
- a suture holder at the distal end portion of the outer shaft, the suture holder having an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the suture holder is configured to receive sutures, and in the closed position the suture holder is configured to hold sutures and prevent longitudinal movement of held sutures relative to the outer shaft;
- and
- an electrical heating element positioned within the outer shaft;
- wherein actuation of the device causes the inner shaft and the heating element to move distally relative to the outer shaft and the suture holder, such that the distal end portion of the inner shaft causes the suture holder to move from the open position to the closed position, and such that the heating element moves into the proximity of the suture holder to fuse together sutures held by the suture holder.
4 more elements
A suture securement device, comprising:
- a handle;
- an elongated outer shaft having a proximal end portion coupled to the handle and a distal end portion opposite the proximal end;
- a suture collar at the distal end portion of the outer shaft, the suture collar having a central opening for collaring sutures and a lateral gate that allows an intermediate portion of a suture to enter laterally into the central opening in a radially inward direction through the lateral gate, and the gate blocks sutures from exiting the central opening in a radially outward direction;
- and
- an electrical heating element positioned within the outer shaft;
- wherein actuation of the device causes the heating element to fuse together sutures collared by the suture collar.
3 more elements
A suture securement device, comprising:
- a handle portion comprising a trigger and an electrical power source;
- and
- an elongated shaft portion extending from the handle portion, the shaft portion comprising:
- a tubular outer shaft having a proximal end attached to the handle portion, a distal end opposite the proximal end, an inner lumen, and an outer slot extending proximally from the distal end of the outer shaft;
- an inner shaft having a proximal end coupled to the trigger, a distal end opposite the proximal end, an inner slot extending proximally from the distal end of the inner shaft, the inner shaft being movable longitudinally within the inner lumen of the outer shaft via actuation of the trigger;
- a suture collar at the distal end of the outer shaft, the suture collar having a central opening for collaring sutures and a lateral gate that allows sutures to laterally enter into the central opening in a radially inward direction via the outer slot in the outer shaft, and the gate blocks sutures from exiting the central opening in a radially outward direction;
- a suture holder comprising a first portion and a second portion that are hingedly coupled together, the first portion being attached to a proximal side of the suture collar and the second portion being free to articulate between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the suture holder is configured to receive sutures between the first and second portions that extend through the central opening of the suture collar, and in the closed position the first and second portions of the suture holder close together to grip the sutures and prevent longitudinal movement of the sutures relative to the shaft portion;
- and
- a heating element positioned within the inner shaft near the distal end of the inner shaft, the heating element being electrically coupled to the electrical power source;
- wherein actuation of the trigger causes the inner shaft and the heating element to move distally relative to the outer shaft, the suture collar, and the suture holder, such that the distal end of the inner shaft moves over the suture holder and causes the second portion of the suture holder to articulate to the closed position, and such that a distal end of the heating element moves into a proximal recess in the suture holder, cuts off free ends of the held sutures, and fuses together remaining ends of the sutures within the suture holder.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.