Device for attaching, relocating and reinforcing tissue and methods of using same

Abstract

A device for attaching, relocating or reinforcing tissue includes a first tissue anchoring portion having a support plate and a plurality of barbs extending from the support plate for engaging tissue at a first location, a second tissue anchoring portion having a support plate and a plurality of barbs extending from the support plate for engaging tissue at a second location which is different from the first location, and a connection element, such as a suture or a mesh structure, interposed between and interconnecting the first tissue anchoring portion and the second tissue anchoring portion. The support plate of at least one of the first tissue anchoring portion and the second tissue anchoring portion may have longitudinally axially formed therethrough a bore for receiving the connecting element so that the surgeon may pull on the end of the connecting element to adjust the distance between the first tissue anchoring portion and the second tissue anchoring portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention generally relates to surgical devices for relocating and fixating soft tissue, and more particularly relates to a soft tissue anchoring device for attaching, relocating or reinforcing tissue, such as used in facial plastic surgery. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] In many types of surgery, there is a need to suspend soft tissue or relocate the tissue from one position to another. This is often done with sutures, but sutures can pull through the tissue and can be difficult to secure to the tissue by tying knots. [0005] Soft tissue anchors are also well known in the art and are used in different surgical procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,226, which issued to Daniel Jacobs and Dirk Thye, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,503, which issued to Daniel Jacobs and Robert James Elson, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose one form of a tissue approximation...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for anchoring to and relocating a variety of tissue types and which is suitable for use in many different body locations and surgical procedures.

[0009] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device which can relocate and fixate tissue in a minimally invasive manner.

[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which can relocate and fixate tissue and which may be adjusted by the surgeon after being surgically implanted.

[0011] It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a device for anchoring to and relocating tissue which allows the physician to set the tissue engaging structures of the device first and then subsequently adjust the locations of or spacing between the tissue engaging structures.

[0012] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device for anchoring to and relocating tissue whereby the amount of tissue relocation may be controlled by the surgeon at the time of placement of the device in a patient's body.

Problems solved by technology

This is often done with sutures, but sutures can pull through the tissue and can be difficult to secure to the tissue by tying knots.

The problems with such tissue anchoring devices disclosed in the aforementioned Jacobs et al. patents include the fact that the described tissue anchors cannot be implanted and then adjusted afterwards; the tissue anchors and the adjustment of the anchors to provide the desired lift must be done in a single step.

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