Insertion device and method for delivery of a mesh carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289204-B2
Application number	US-201313888892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	Dec 5, 2008
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An insertion device includes an elongate member and a stylet. The elongate member has a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and defines a lumen therethrough. The stylet has a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and is slidably coupled to the elongate member. The stylet is configured to move from a first position to a second position with respect to the elongate member. The proximal end portion of the stylet is configured to removably couple a mesh carrier thereto. A portion of the proximal end portion of the stylet is disposed outside of the lumen of the elongate member when the stylet is in its first position and is disposed within the lumen when the stylet is in its second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insertion device, comprising:
an elongate member having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and defining a lumen therethrough, the elongate member including a curved portion between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, the distal end portion configured to removably couple a tissue anchor thereto, the proximal end portion including a handle; and
a stylet having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and being configured to move from a first position to a second position with respect to the elongate member, the stylet configured to engage the tissue anchor to remove the tissue anchor from the elongate member,
wherein, when the stylet is moved to the second position, the distal end portion of the stylet is configured to flex to contact an inner surface of the elongate member such that a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the stylet is offset from a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the elongate member.

2. The insertion device of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion of the stylet is configured to extend outside of the distal end portion of the elongate member when the stylet is in the first position.

3. The insertion device of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion of the stylet is configured to contact a proximal end portion of the tissue anchor when the stylet is moved from the second position to the first position.

4. The insertion device of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis defined by the proximal end portion of the elongate member is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis defined by the distal end portion of the elongate member, and a longitudinal axis defined by the tissue anchor is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis defined by the handle.

5. The insertion device of claim 1 , wherein the curved portion of the elongate member has a radius of curvature of approximately 1.1 inches.

6. The insertion device of claim 1 , wherein the handle is slidably coupled to the proximal end portion of the elongate member, the handle having at least one groove, the proximal end of the elongate member includes a coupling member having at least one protrusion configured to engage the at least one groove.

7. The insertion device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a coupling member coupled to the proximal end portion of the elongate member, the coupling member including a coupling portion extending proximally therefrom, the coupling portion defining at least one protrusion, wherein the handle is configured to engage the at least one protrusion of the coupling portion.

8. An insertion device, comprising:
an elongate member having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and defining a lumen therethrough; and
a stylet having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, at least a portion of the stylet disposed within the lumen of the elongate member, the stylet being slidably coupled to the elongate member such that the stylet is configured to move from a first position to a second position with respect to the elongate member,
wherein, when the stylet is moved to the second position, the distal end portion of the stylet is configured to flex to contact an inner surface of the elongate member such that a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the stylet is offset from a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the elongate member.

9. The insertion device of claim 8 , wherein the distal end portion of the elongate member is configured to be removably coupled to a tissue anchor.

10. The insertion device of claim 8 , wherein the stylet is biased to a linear configuration.

11. The insertion device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a coupling member disposed about the proximal end portion of the elongate member, the coupling member having at least one protrusion, the handle having at least one groove to engage the at least one protrusion of the coupling member.

12. The insertion device of claim 8 , wherein the distal end portion of the stylet is configured to pierce a filament received in a tissue anchor when the insertion device is in a first configuration.

13. A method of inserting a tissue anchor into a body of a patient, comprising:
coupling the tissue anchor to a distal end portion of an elongate member of an insertion device, the insertion device including a stylet movably coupled to the elongate member, the stylet having a distal end portion biased to a substantially linear configuration;
inserting the insertion device into the body;
decoupling the tissue anchor from the distal end portion of the elongate member, wherein decoupling includes moving the stylet from a first position to a second position, and wherein the distal end portion of the stylet flexes to contact an inner surface of the elongate member such that a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the stylet is offset from a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the elongate member; and
removing the insertion device from the body.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, when the stylet is in the first position, the distal end portion of the stylet extends beyond the distal end portion of the elongate member.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tissue anchor includes a mesh carrier having a protrusion configured to contact the distal end portion of the elongate member to prevent the mesh carrier from being fully enclosed in a lumen of the elongate member.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
inserting a filament into an aperture defined by the tissue anchor prior to coupling the tissue anchor to the stylet.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the decoupling of the tissue anchor includes moving the stylet from the first position to the second position such that the stylet is removed from a lumen of the tissue anchor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the moving of the stylet from the first position to the second position includes moving the stylet in a proximal direction.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
coupling a second tissue anchor to the distal end portion of the elongate member when the stylet is in the first position; and
inserting the insertion device into the body of the patient.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
moving the stylet from the first position to the second position to decouple the second tissue anchor at a second location, wherein an orientation of the second tissue anchor is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis defined by the proximal end of the elongate member; and
removing the insertion device from the body.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Chu Michael S H

Classifications

• A61B2017/0464

  for soft tissue · CPC title

• A61B2017/0445

  cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument · CPC title

• A61F2/0045

  Support slings · CPC title

• A61B17/0401 Primary

  Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors (A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811) · CPC title

• A61B17/06109

  Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle · CPC title