Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
An anchor for securing a strand of suture material in the body comprising a tube having a leading end and a trailing end, a slot extending from said trailing end to a point intermediate said leading and trailing ends said trailing end defining a trailing face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of the tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
An anchor for securing a strand of suture material in the body comprising a tube having a leading end and a trailing end, a slot extending from said trailing end to a point intermediate said leading and trailing ends said trailing end defining a trailing face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of the tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The anchor of claim 1 wherein said leading end defines a leading face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of the tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The anchor of claim 1 wherein the slot extends linearly to a slot base.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The anchor of claim 1 wherein the slot extends from the axially inboard region of the trailing face to a slot base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
An anchor and a strand of suture material in combination, said anchor comprising a tube having a leading end and a trailing end, a slot extending from said trailing end toward said leading end, and means for attaching said strand of suture material to the leading end of the tube with the strand extending from the leading end at least partially through the tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
An anchor and a strand of suture material in combination, said anchor comprising a tube having a leading end and a trailing end, a slot extending from said trailing end toward said leading end, and means for attaching said strand of suture material to the leading end of the tube with the strand extending from the leading end at least partially through the tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The suture anchor and strand of suture material of claim 6 wherein said means for interlocking is a knot tied in the strand at a terminal end of the strand which engages the leading end of the tube when tension is applied to the other end of the strand.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The suture anchor and strand of suture material of claim 5 wherein said strand of suture material is shiftable between an insertion position in which the strand exits said tube at the trailing end and a toggle position in which said strand exits the tube through said slot.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
103 words
A suture anchor and suture in combination comprising: a suture, an elongated tubular anchor, said suture having a knot tied adjacent a terminal end of the suture and engaging a first end of the anchor, said anchor having a slot extending from a second end to a slot base intermediate the first and second ends, and said suture being threaded through the anchor from the first end axially through the anchor and through the second end in an insertion position and being shifted through the slot during deployment to a deployed position wherein the suture extends from the anchor at the slot base.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
103 words
A suture anchor and suture in combination comprising: a suture, an elongated tubular anchor, said suture having a knot tied adjacent a terminal end of the suture and engaging a first end of the anchor, said anchor having a slot extending from a second end to a slot base intermediate the first and second ends, and said suture being threaded through the anchor from the first end axially through the anchor and through the second end in an insertion position and being shifted through the slot during deployment to a deployed position wherein the suture extends from the anchor at the slot base.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The anchor of claim 8 wherein said second end defines a trailing face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of the tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The anchor of claim 9 wherein the slot extends from the axially inboard region of the trailing face.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The anchor of claim 8 wherein said first end defines a leading face disposed at an oblique angle to the central axis of the tube.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The anchor of claim 8 wherein the slot extends linearly along the tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
115 words
A suture anchor for anchoring a suture to cartilage comprising: an elongated tube having first and second ends, means for securing the suture to the tube at said first end of the tube with the suture being partially threaded through the tube; said tube having a slot linearly extending from said second end to a midpoint located intermediate the first and second ends of the tube; said anchor being shiftable between a first position in which the suture extends completely through said tube and a second position in which the suture extends from the first end of said tube through said tube to the midpoint of the tube and exits said tube at the midpoint.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
115 words
A suture anchor for anchoring a suture to cartilage comprising: an elongated tube having first and second ends, means for securing the suture to the tube at said first end of the tube with the suture being partially threaded through the tube; said tube having a slot linearly extending from said second end to a midpoint located intermediate the first and second ends of the tube; said anchor being shiftable between a first position in which the suture extends completely through said tube and a second position in which the suture extends from the first end of said tube through said tube to the midpoint of the tube and exits said tube at the midpoint.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
193 words
A method of anchoring a suture in the body with a T-bar anchor, said T-bar anchor being an elongated tubular member having first and second ends, said suture being secured to said first end, second end having a slot extending to the approximate midpoint of the tubular member with said suture being threaded through the tubular member, said method comprising the following steps: inserting a hollow tool having an outer needle and a pusher means, the T-bar anchor being initially disposed in the outer needle with the first end being initially inserted into body tissue to a desired depth, the suture extending from the first end of the tubular member through the second end and being routed through the pusher tube; pushing the anchor with said pusher means through the end of the tool with a shiftable element in the hollow tool; applying tension to the suture to cause the suture to shift the tubular member to a toggle position with the suture shifting through the slot from the second end toward the approximate midpoint wherein the suture exits the tubular member at the approximate midpoint; and removing said tool from the tissue.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
193 words
A method of anchoring a suture in the body with a T-bar anchor, said T-bar anchor being an elongated tubular member having first and second ends, said suture being secured to said first end, second end having a slot extending to the approximate midpoint of the tubular member with said suture being threaded through the tubular member, said method comprising the following steps: inserting a hollow tool having an outer needle and a pusher means, the T-bar anchor being initially disposed in the outer needle with the first end being initially inserted into body tissue to a desired depth, the suture extending from the first end of the tubular member through the second end and being routed through the pusher tube; pushing the anchor with said pusher means through the end of the tool with a shiftable element in the hollow tool; applying tension to the suture to cause the suture to shift the tubular member to a toggle position with the suture shifting through the slot from the second end toward the approximate midpoint wherein the suture exits the tubular member at the approximate midpoint; and removing said tool from the tissue.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 14 wherein said second end of said tubular member is an obliquely angled trailing face which assists in shifting the tubular member to the toggle position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 14 wherein said pusher means comprises a hollow tube and said suture is threaded therethrough.