Suture loop locking device

Claim 3

The suture device according to claim 1 wherein the crosssectional dimension of said longitudinal bore is substantially circular.

Claim 4

A suture device for securing a suture loop about a tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising first and second pairs of opposed axial sections, said first and second pairs of axial sections including inner wedging surfaces and defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture, said first and second pairs of axial sections being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions received within said passageway between said wedging surfaces thereof to retain said looped suture about the tissue, wherein said wedging surfaces of said first pair of said axial sections is generally straight and said wedging surfaces of said second pair of axial sections include arcuate recesses.

Claim 5

A suture device for securing a suture loop about a tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising first and second pairs of opposed axial sections, said first and second pairs of axial sections including inner wedging surfaces and defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture, said first and second pairs of axial sections being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions received within said passageway between said wedging surfaces thereof to retain said looped suture about the tissue, wherein said wedging surfaces of said first pair of said axial sections is generally straight and said wedging surfaces of said second pair of axial sections include arcuate recesses.

Claim 10

A suture device for securing a suture loop about tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising at least two axial compressible sections, said at least two axial sections defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture, said at least two axial sections including inner wedging surfaces and being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions received within said passageway to retain said looped suture about the tissue, said at least two axial sections each including at least one flange portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, said flange portions correspondingly dimensioned and positioned to increase the effective outer diameter of said anchor member so as to maximize the amount of inward movement of said axial sections towards said longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member upon insertion thereof in said bore of said bead member.

Claim 11

A suture device for securing a suture loop about tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising at least two axial compressible sections, said at least two axial sections defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture, said at least two axial sections including inner wedging surfaces and being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions received within said passageway to retain said looped suture about the tissue, said at least two axial sections each including at least one flange portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, said flange portions correspondingly dimensioned and positioned to increase the effective outer diameter of said anchor member so as to maximize the amount of inward movement of said axial sections towards said longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member upon insertion thereof in said bore of said bead member.

Claim 12

The device according to claim 6, wherein said flange portions taper outwardly towards a rear end portion of said anchor member to facilitate insertion of said anchor member within said bead member.

Claim 13

The device according to claim 7, wherein said at least two axial sections each comprise a pair of said flange portions.

Claim 14

A suture device for securing a suture loop about a tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising four axial compressible sections, each said axial compressible section defining an inner wedging surface, said four axial sections defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture and being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions between said inner wedging surfaces to thereby retain said looped suture about the tissue.

Claim 15

A suture device for securing a suture loop about a tissue portion, which comprises: an individual suture adapted to be looped about tissue; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough wherein two end portions of said looped suture are passed through said longitudinal bore; and an anchor member comprising four axial compressible sections, each said axial compressible section defining an inner wedging surface, said four axial sections defining therebetween a longitudinal passageway for reception of said two end portions of said looped suture and being adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member when said anchor member is at least partially inserted within said bore of said bead member to securely wedge said suture end portions between said inner wedging surfaces to thereby retain said looped suture about the tissue.

Claim 16

The device according to claim 9, wherein said four axial compressible sections are generally quadrantal-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 17

The device according to claim 10, wherein said wedging surfaces of said four axial compressible sections each define an arcuate recess, said arcuate recesses configured and dimensioned to accommodate said two suture end portions of said looped suture.

Claim 18

A suturing device, which comprises: a flexible suture adapted to be looped about bodily tissue and having first and second end portions; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough and dimensioned for reception of said first and second end portions of said suture thereby forming a loop about the bodily tissue; an anchor member slidably insertable within said bore of said bead member and defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough for reception of said first and second end portions of said suture looped about tissue, said anchor member comprising a base portion and at least two axial compressible sections integrally connected at respective first end portions thereof to said base portion, each said at least two axial sections tapering generally outwardly towards a second end portion thereof relative to a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member, said at least two axial sections adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards said longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member upon at least partial insertion of said anchor member within said bore of said bead member to selectively secure said suture loop at a desired tension about tissue.

Claim 19

A suturing device, which comprises: a flexible suture adapted to be looped about bodily tissue and having first and second end portions; a bead member having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough and dimensioned for reception of said first and second end portions of said suture thereby forming a loop about the bodily tissue; an anchor member slidably insertable within said bore of said bead member and defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough for reception of said first and second end portions of said suture looped about tissue, said anchor member comprising a base portion and at least two axial compressible sections integrally connected at respective first end portions thereof to said base portion, each said at least two axial sections tapering generally outwardly towards a second end portion thereof relative to a longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member, said at least two axial sections adapted to collapse radially inwardly towards said longitudinal axis defined by said anchor member upon at least partial insertion of said anchor member within said bore of said bead member to selectively secure said suture loop at a desired tension about tissue.

Claim 20

The device according to claim 12, wherein said anchor member is generally frusto-conically shaped.

Claim 21

The device according to claim 13, wherein the outer diameter of at least a portion of said anchor member is greater than the diameter of said longitudinal bore of said bead member.

Claim 22

The device according to claim 12 wherein said anchor member comprises four said axial sections, and wherein said anchor member has a generally frusto-conical shape.

Claim 23

The device according to claim 12, wherein said bead member comprises nonabsorbable synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyesters, polyethylene, polyamides, polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polytetrafluoroethylene and polysulfones.

Claim 24

The device according to claim 12, wherein said bead member comprises bioabsorbable fibers selected from the group consisting of catgut and synthetic materials including polymers and copolymers of lactide, glycolide, dioxanone, caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate.

Claim 25

The device according to claim 12, wherein said anchor member comprises nonabsorbable synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyesters, polyethylene, polyamides, polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polytetrafluoroethylene and polysulfones.

Claim 26

The device according to claim 12, wherein said anchor member comprises bioabsorbable fibers selected from the group consisting of catgut and synthetic materials including polymers and copolymers of lactide, glycolide, dioxanone, caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate.