# US 2019/0167253 A1 · Device and method for fixating a suture anchor with a suture or a headed anchor in hard tissue > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167253 A1 - Document ID: US20190167253A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/272,071 - Filed: 2019-02-11 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-28 - Assignees: Sportwelding GmbH - Applicants: SportWelding GmbH - Inventors: Jörg Mayer; Mario Lehmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167253A1 ## 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 2017/00955: {thermoplastic} - A61B 2017/0409: {Instruments for applying suture anchors} - A61B 2017/0414: {having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening} - A61B 2017/042: {plastically deformed during insertion} - A61B 2017/0438: {slotted, i.e. having a longitudinal slot for enhancing their elasticity} - A61B 2017/0458: {Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot} - A61B 2017/0464: {for soft tissue} - F04C 2270/0421: Controlled or regulated - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS ## Abstract A device and method for fixating soft tissue to hard tissue with the aid of a suture anchor and a suture or with the aid of a headed anchor, wherein the anchor is forced into the hard tissue and then anchored therein by in situ liquefaction of a material having thermoplastic properties. The device includes a vibration tool and the anchor and possibly a support element, wherein the anchor includes an anchor foot and a thermoplastic sleeve. The thermoplastic sleeve includes the material having thermoplastic properties. The anchor foot has a distal end suitable for being forced into hard tissue and it is connected to the distal end of the vibration tool and the thermoplastic sleeve sits on a proximal face of the anchor foot, the vibration tool and/or a proximal portion of the anchor foot extending into or through the thermoplastic sleeve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A headed anchor equipped for fixating a soft tissue to bone, the anchor comprising an anchor foot with a distal end being equipped for being forced into or through hard tissue, a tool with a distal end being connected or connectable to the proximal end of the anchor foot, and a thermoplastic sleeve comprising the material having thermoplastic properties, wherein the thermoplastic sleeve carries a flange-shaped proximal portion constituting the anchor head and wherein the flange comprises a distal clamping face that is adapted to clamp a soft tissue between anchor head and bone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The headed anchor according to claim 1, wherein the anchor head comprises distal protrusions at the flange that are adapted for being pressed into the soft tissue in a fixed state of the headed anchor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The headed anchor according to claim 1, wherein a contact area between a distal face of the thermoplastic sleeve and a proximal face of the anchor foot is equipped with energy directors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The headed anchor according to claim 3 having a proximal face of the anchor foot which tapers inwards to form a relatively sharp edge adapted to the cross section of the axial channel through the thermoplastic sleeve and wherein the relatively sharp edge constitutes the energy directors and the taper enhances displacement of the liquefied material radially outward and therewith into the bone tissue surrounding the anchor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The headed anchor according to claim 4 having recesses being arranged in the tapering proximal face of the anchor foot, which, during the anchoring step, can be filled with liquefied material to connect the anchor foot to the thermoplastic sleeve in a positive-fit connection in the finally fixated anchor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The headed anchor according to claim 1, wherein the headed anchor comprises a system of passages and/or groove and is configured to hold a loop of at least one suture. ### Claim 7 An suture anchor equipped for being anchored in hard tissue with the aid of in situ liquefaction of a material having thermoplastic properties, the anchor comprising the material having thermoplastic properties: and comprising a distal end portion being equipped for being forced into or through hard tissue, wherein the anchor is a one piece anchor; and wherein the anchor is equipped to be connectable to a tool, wherein the connection capable of transmitting a compressive force as well as mechanical vibrations to the anchor, wherein the anchor comprises a system of passages and/or grooves for holding at least one suture, and wherein the anchor material having thermoplastic properties is liquefied by combined action of the axial compressive force and the mechanical vibration to yield liquefied material, whereby said the liquefied material is laterally displaced, while an axial dimension of the anchor is simultaneously reduced. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The anchor according to claim 7, wherein the distal end portion of the anchor serves as a tip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The anchor according to claim 7, wherein the distal end portion of the anchor serves as a punching tool. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The anchor according to claim 7, wherein the system is constituted by at least one eyelet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A device for anchoring a suture in hard tissue with the aid of in situ liquefaction of a material having thermoplastic properties, the device comprising: the anchor according to claim 1 and a tool wherein the tool has a distal end that is connected or connectable to the anchor by the connection, and wherein the connection between the distal end of the tool and the anchor is capable of being disconnected and is adapted to transmit a compressive force well as mechanical vibration from the tool to the anchor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, and further comprising a support element sitting on a proximal face of the anchor with the tool extending through the support element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, and further comprising a vibration source, a proximal end of the tool being coupled or couplable to the vibration source. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device according to claim 13, wherein the vibration source is capable of selectively producing two different vibration modes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device according to claim 14, wherein a first one of the two different vibration modes is selected from a group consisting of amplitude modulated and pulsed. ### Claim 16 A surgical device comprising: an anchor comprising a material having thermoplastic properties for in situ liquefaction of a material having thermoplastic properties and a tool, wherein the anchor comprises an anchor piece with a distal end portion being equipped to be forced into or through hard tissue, and wherein the tool has a distal end that is connected or connectable to the anchor piece via a direct connection, wherein the direct connection provides physical contact between the distal end of the tool and the anchor piece, and wherein the direct connection between the distal end of the tool and the anchor piece is capable of being disconnected and is adapted to transmit an axial compressive force as well as mechanical vibration from the tool to the anchor piece wherein the anchor material having thermoplastic properties is adapted to be liquefied by combined action of the axial compressive force and the mechanical vibration, to yield liquefied material, whereby said the liquefied material is laterally displaced while an axial dimension of the anchor is simultaneously reduced. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, further comprising a vibration source, a proximal end of the tool being coupled or couplable to the vibration source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device according to claim 17, wherein the vibration source is capable of selectively producing two different vibration modes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device according to claim 18, wherein a first one of the two different vibration modes is selected from the group consisting of amplitude modulated and pulsed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The device according to claim 19, wherein the anchor is a headed anchor adapted to fix a soft tissue to hard tissue, wherein the headed anchor comprises an anchor head with a proximal flange, wherein the flange comprises a distal clamping face that is adapted to clamp a soft tissue between anchor head and hard tissue. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The device according to claim 19, wherein the anchor head comprises distal protrusions at the flange that are adapted for pressed into the soft tissue in a fixed state of the headed anchor. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The device according to claim 19, wherein the headed anchor comprises a system of passages and/or groove, wherein the system is configured to hold a loop of at least one suture. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein the anchor is a suture anchor comprising a system of passages and/or groove, wherein the system is configured to hold a loop of at least one suture. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device according to claim 23, wherein the system is constituted by at least one eyelet. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The device according to claim 23, wherein the anchor comprises at least one axial suture groove for accommodation of the at least one suture.