Hand operated device for controlled deployment of a tissue anchor and method of using the same

A hand-held, hand operated tissue anchoring system for deploying

• a tissue anchor:
• an anchor member capable of being inserted through tissue and suitable for anchoring against at least one side of the tissue;
• a tensioning member operatively connected to the anchor member such that the anchor member can slide relative to the tensioning member, the tensioning member capable of being pulled to cause the anchor member to move relative to said tensioning member to apply tension thereto to seat the anchor member;
• a deployment catheter operable to extend and deploy the anchor member therefrom, the deployment catheter including:
• a hand-held handle including a first housing body and a second housing body that is coupled to the first housing body so as to define a hollow interior therebetween;
• a flexible catheter body that is fixedly attached to the handle at one end, the anchor member and connected tensioning member being contained within a main lumen of the catheter body;
• a spool assembly contained within the hollow interior and including a spool about which the tensioning member is routed;
• a slip clutch assembly that is contained within the hollow interior and is operatively coupled to the spool assembly, the slip clutch assembly being configured to limit tension within the tensioning member as the tensioning member is pulled and wound about the spool as tension is applied to the anchor member;
• and
• a deployable pusher assembly, contained within the hollow interior, for controllably deploying a portion of the anchor member, the pusher assembly including a slideable pusher actuator that is coupled to and accessible along the handle and is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position in which the pusher assembly deploys at least a portion of the anchor member;
• wherein the spool assembly further includes a spool ratchet that is separate from the spool and is configured to be at least partially received within a central opening of the spool, the spool ratchet including a lower toothed wheel that has teeth formed circumferentially along a peripheral edge of the wheel, the spool ratchet having an integral first clutch member that is flexible in a radial direction and is part of the clutch assembly and mates with a second clutch member that is part of the spool and is located along an inner surface thereof, wherein the spool ratchet and spool slip relative to one another when tension within the tensioning member exceeds a threshold value, thereby preventing the tensioning member from being overtensioned.