Apparatus and method for securing a suture

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage which extends between first and second sections of a retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture through a second passage which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• engaging first and second recesses in the first section of the retainer with first and second projections extending from the second section of the retainer to position the second section of the retainer relative to the first section of the retainer during performance of said step of moving a first portion of a suture through a first passage and during performance of said step of moving a second portion of a suture through a second passage;
• forming a loop in the first portion of the suture around the first projection by moving the first portion of the suture through the first passage for a second time, and forming a loop in the second portion of the suture around the second projection by moving the second portion of the suture through the second passage for a second time;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed in the first and second passages, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes decreasing size of the first and second passages and applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage which extends between first and second sections of a retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture through a second passage which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer, wherein a plurality of projections are disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and cooperate with the first and second sections of the retainer to at least partially define the first and second passages during movement of the first portion of a suture through the first passage and during movement of the second portion of a suture through the second passage;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed in the first and second passages, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes decreasing size of the first and second passages and applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer, wherein said step of decreasing the size of the first and second passages includes decreasing the distance between the first and second sections of the retainer and plastically deforming material of the plurality of projections.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage which extends between first and second sections of a retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture through a second passage which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer, wherein a plurality of projections are disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and cooperate with the first and second sections of the retainer to at least partially define the first and second passages during movement of the first portion of a suture through the first passage and during movement of the second portion of a suture through the second passage;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed in the first and second passages, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes decreasing size of the first and second passages and applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer, wherein said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes deforming an end portion of a first projection of the plurality of projections with the end portion of the first projection disposed in a recess formed in one of the first and second sections of the retainer and deforming an end portion of a second projection of the plurality of projections with the end portion of the second projection in a recess formed in one of the first and second sections of the retainer.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage which extends between first and second sections of a retainer, wherein said step of moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage includes sliding the first portion of the suture along a first side of a projection disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture through a second passage which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer, wherein said step of moving a second portion of the suture through the second passage includes sliding the second portion of the suture along a second side of the projection disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• transmitting force between the first and second sections of the suture retainer through the projection while the first and second portions of the suture are disposed in the first and second passages;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed in the first and second passages, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes decreasing size of the first and second passages;
• applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer;
• and plastically deforming material of the projection.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture through a first passage which extends between first and second sections of a retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture through a second passage which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• engaging a surface area on the first section of the retainer with a pointed end portion of a first projection from the second section of the retainer and engaging a surface area on the first section of the retainer with a pointed end portion of a second projection from the second section of the retainer;
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed in the first and second passages, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes decreasing size of the first and second passages and applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer, said step of applying energy includes applying energy to the second section of the retainer and concentrating the energy applied to the second section of the retainer at the pointed end portions of the first and second projections.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a retainer having a projection extending from a first section of the retainer into a recess in a second section of the retainer;
• moving a portion of a suture between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the portion of the suture at least partially disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes bonding an end portion of the projection extending from the first section of the retainer to a bottom portion of a recess formed in the second section of the retainer;
• and
• gripping the retainer with an applicator assembly, and sliding the retainer along the suture while gripping the retainer with the applicator assembly.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a retainer having a projection extending from a first section of the retainer into a recess in a second section of the retainer;
• moving a portion of a suture between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the portion of the suture at least partially disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes bonding an end portion of the projection extending from the first section of the retainer to a bottom portion of a recess formed in the second section of the retainer and applying energy to the first section of the retainer and concentrating the energy at the end portion of the projection.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a retainer having first and second sections, said first and second sections of said retainer include a plurality of projections;
• moving a first portion of the suture relative to the retainer along a path which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer and between first and second projections of the plurality of projections;
• moving a second portion of the suture relative to the retainer along a path which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the second projection and a third projection of the plurality of projections;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with, the first portion of the suture disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the first and second projections, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer being performed with the second portion of the suture disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the second and third projections, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer;
• and
• gripping the retainer with an applicator assembly, and sliding the retainer along the first and second portions of the suture while gripping the retainer with the applicator assembly, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer is at least partially performed while gripping the retainer with the applicator assembly.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a retainer having first and second sections, said first and second sections of said retainer include a plurality of projections;
• moving a first portion of the suture relative to the retainer along a path which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer and between first and second projections of the plurality of projections, wherein said step of moving a first portion of the suture along a path which extends between the first and second projections is performed with a pointed end portion of the first projection engaging a surface area on the first section of the retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture relative to the retainer along a path which extends between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the second projection and a third projection of the plurality of projections, wherein said step of moving a second portion of the suture along a path which extends between second and third projections is performed with a pointed end portion of the third projection engaging a surface area on the first section of the retainer;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first portion of the suture disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the first and second projections, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer being performed with the second portion of the suture disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer and between the second and third projections, said step of interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer includes applying energy to at least one of the first and second sections of the retainer.

An apparatus for use in securing a suture, said apparatus comprising:

• a first retainer section;
• a second retainer section, said first retainer section having first and second projections which extend into first and second recesses in said second retainer section, said first and second retainer sections and said first and second projections at least partially define a first passage which receives a first portion of the suture and a second passage which receives a second portion of the suture, wherein said first projection has a flat side surface area which faces toward said second projection and at least partially defines the first passage and said second projection has a flat side surface area which faces toward said first projection, and at least partially defines the second passage;
• and
• a third projection which is disposed between said first and second projections, said third projection having a flat side surface area which faces toward said first projection and at least partially defines the first passage and a flat side surface area which faces toward said second projection and at least partially defines the second passage, wherein said second retainer section includes a groove which faces away from said first retainer section and receives a force application member during an application of energy to said first retainer section to effect a bonding of said first and second projections to said second retainer section.

A method of securing a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

• moving a first portion of the suture between first and second sections of a retainer;
• moving a second portion of the suture between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• maintaining the first and second retainer sections in a desired spatial, relationship under the influence of interference fit between surfaces on the first and second sections of the retainer during performance of said steps of moving the first portion of the suture between the first and second sections of the retainer and moving the second portion of the suture between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• interconnecting the first and second sections of the retainer with the first and second portions of the suture at least partially disposed between the first and second sections of the retainer;
• and
• further including the steps of gripping the retainer with an applicator assembly, and sliding the retainer along the first and second portions of the suture while gripping the retainer with the applicator assembly.