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US20030093118A1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tissue connector apparatus with cable release

Assignee: Medtronic Inc
•
Filing: 2002-07-01
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2022-07-01
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Abstract

Abstract A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and a mechanical restraining device including a plurality of strands releasably attachable to the clip for restraining the clip in its open configuration. A needle may be releasably attached to the clip. A flexible member may also interconnect the clip and the needle.

Inventors

  • 👤 Liem Ho
  • 👤 Isidro Gandionco
  • 👤 Nga Doan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 11:44
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/08; A61B17/083; A61B17/04; A61B17/06; A61B17/06004; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/00867; A61B2017/06057; A61B17/06066; A61B2017/06076; A61B17/11; A61B2017/1135; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30003; A61F2002/3006; A61F2002/30092; A61F2210/00; A61F2210/0014; A61F2210/0019

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim 40 words
1 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 40 words
1 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, said clip having an enlarged end portion, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said enlarged portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
2 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said strands comprise substantially rigid wires.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
3 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said strands comprise substantially rigid cables.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
4 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said strands each comprise a notch for receiving part of said enlarged portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
5 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said clip has a generally U-shaped configuration when in said open configuration
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
6 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a needle connected to said release mechanism and thereby releasably attached to said clip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 43 words
7 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of strands are arranged in a circle and substantially parallel to one another to form a tube-like configuration, with proximal end portions of said strands being coupled to said needle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 34 words
8 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock said enlarged portion within a chamber defined by said notches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 46 words
9 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a shrink wrap layer surrounding at least said distal end portions of said strands, said shrink wrap layer adapted to be heat shrunk against said strands, thereby compressing said notches against said enlarged portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 19 words
10 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein said shrink wrap layer comprises a shrink tubing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 25 words
11 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein compression of said plurality of strands releases said release mechanism from said enlarged portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 67 words
12 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 8 , wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock said enlarged portion within a chamber defined by said notches; and wherein compression of said plurality of strands in a location between said notches and said coupled proximal end portions, deforms said chamber to enable removal of said enlarged portion from said chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 30 words
13 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a coil surrounding at least a portion of said clip and biasing said clip toward the open configuration.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
14 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a clip retainer fixed at an end portion of said clip opposite said enlarged end portion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 16 words
15 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said clip comprises a wire.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 15 words
16 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein said wire is tubular.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 18 words
17 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein said wire has a generally circular cross-section.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 17 words
18 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein said wire comprises shape memory material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 26 words
19 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein said clip retainer has a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of said coil.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 23 words
20 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said clip is in a relaxed state when in said closed configuration.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 21 words
21 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said clip assumes a spiral configuration in said closed configuration.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 49 words
22 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein said coil comprises a plurality of adjacent loops, said coil being compressible with said plurality of adjacent loops being spaced closer to one another along one side of said coil than along an opposite side of said coil.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 39 words
23 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 22 , wherein coupling of said release mechanism to said enlarged portion compresses said coil between said release mechanism and said retainer clip thereby biasing said clip in said open position.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 20 words
24 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of strands comprises two to ten strands.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 40 words
25 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip adapted to assume an open configuration and a closed configuration, a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said clip, and a needle coupled to said release mechanism.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 40 words
25 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip adapted to assume an open configuration and a closed configuration, a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said clip, and a needle coupled to said release mechanism.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 58 words
26 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip adapted to assume an open configuration and a closed configuration, a coil coupled to said clip, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said clip, wherein said coil biases said clip in said open configuration when said release mechanism is coupled to said clip.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 58 words
26 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip adapted to assume an open configuration and a closed configuration, a coil coupled to said clip, and a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupled to said clip, wherein said coil biases said clip in said open configuration when said release mechanism is coupled to said clip.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 18 words
27 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 26; further comprising a needle coupled to said release mechanism.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 22 words
28 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 27 wherein said needle is releasable from said clip simultaneously with said release mechanism.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 22 words
29 . The tissue connector of claim 28 , wherein said clip assumes said closed position upon release from said release mechanism.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 28 words
30 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 26 , further comprising a needle and a flexible member, said flexible member coupling said needle to said release mechanism.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 23 words
31 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 30 , further comprising a transition sleeve connecting said release mechanism to said flexible member.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 17 words
32 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 30 , wherein said flexible member comprises a suture.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 43 words
33 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 27 , wherein said plurality of strands are arranged in a circle and substantially parallel to one another to form a tube-like configuration, with proximal end portions of said strands being coupled to said needle.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 37 words
34 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 33 , wherein distal end portions of said strands comprise notches configured to receive and lock an enlarged portion of said clip within a chamber defined by said notches.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 46 words
35 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 34 , further comprising a shrink wrap layer surrounding at least said distal end portions of said strands, said shrink wrap layer adapted to be heat shrunk against said strands, thereby compressing said notches against said enlarged portion.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 19 words
36 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 35 , wherein said shrink wrap layer comprises a shrink tubing.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 23 words
37 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 26 wherein compression of said plurality of strands releases said release mechanism from said clip.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 42 words
38 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 35 , wherein compression of said plurality of strands in a location between said notches and said coupled proximal end portions, deforms said chamber to enable removal of said enlarged portion from said chamber.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 20 words
39 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 26 , wherein said plurality of strands comprises two to ten strands.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim 65 words
40 . A tissue connector assembly comprising: a surgical clip having a relaxed state; a needle; a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupling said needle to said clip; and a biasing member associated with said surgical clip; wherein said plurality of strands, when coupling said needle to said clip, urges said biasing member to bias said clip away from said relaxed state.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim 65 words
40 . A tissue connector assembly comprising: a surgical clip having a relaxed state; a needle; a release mechanism comprising a plurality of strands releasably coupling said needle to said clip; and a biasing member associated with said surgical clip; wherein said plurality of strands, when coupling said needle to said clip, urges said biasing member to bias said clip away from said relaxed state.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim 20 words
41 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 40 , wherein said plurality of strands comprises two to ten strands.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim 64 words
42 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 40 , wherein said biasing member comprises a coil surrounding at least a portion of said clip, said coil including a first end restrained from movement in one direction along said clip, and a second movable end, wherein said coupling of said release mechanism with said clip compresses said coil by movement of said second end.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim 63 words
43 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a needle, a clip, and a releasing mechanism releasably connecting said needle to said clip, said releasing mechanism comprising a plurality of strands configured to surround and retain an enlarged portion of said clip, wherein compression of said configuration of said plurality of strands adjacent said enlarged portion distorts said configuration to release said enlarged portion.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim 63 words
43 . A tissue connector assembly comprising a needle, a clip, and a releasing mechanism releasably connecting said needle to said clip, said releasing mechanism comprising a plurality of strands configured to surround and retain an enlarged portion of said clip, wherein compression of said configuration of said plurality of strands adjacent said enlarged portion distorts said configuration to release said enlarged portion.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim 16 words
44 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 43 , wherein said clip comprises a wire.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim 17 words
45 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 44 , wherein said wire comprises shape memory material.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim 22 words
46 . The tissue connector assembly of claim 43 , further comprising a spring for biasing said clip in said open configuration.

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