Noninvasive suture delivery device
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsCourtney Townsel, Adrienne R. Harris, Jeffrey E. Ransden, Nathaniel Johnson
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Abstract
A noninvasive suture delivery device includes a housing including a distal end and a trigger. An arm assembly is operably coupled to the distal end of the housing and includes a tubular body and a distal end. A suture includes a closed loop and a string. The closed loop defines an opening extending from the distal end of the arm assembly. The string extends from the closed loop and through the tubular body of the arm assembly. When the trigger is activated, a dimension of the opening of the closed loop decreases.
Claims20
A method of delivering a noninvasive suture around a portion of a cervix, the method comprising:
- inserting a closed loop into a vaginal canal, the closed loop extending from a distal end of a hand-held suture delivery device, the hand-held suture delivery device including a dual arm assembly operably coupled to a housing, the closed loop including a string extending through the dual arm assembly, and into the housing;
- disposing the closed loop around a portion of a cervix;
- tightening the closed loop around the portion of the cervix;
- and
- cutting the string of the suture.
A cervical cerclage method, comprising:
- intravaginally applying a suture to the cervix to prevent premature birth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.