Shape memory filament for suture management

Abstract

A member of a rigid flexible elastic material, the member including a body portion and an aperture portion with the member adapted for delivery through an axial longitudinal channel of a percutaneous delivery subsystem, the aperture portion including an expanded mode having a lateral dimension greater than an inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion extends outside the channel and a collapsed mode wherein the lateral dimension is not greater than the inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion is within the channel, the channel including a first axial opening and a second axial opening with the aperture portion transitioning from the expanded mode to the collapsed mode when inserted into the openings and the aperture transitioning from the collapsed mode to the expanded mode when exiting from the openings.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates generally to surgical suture management and more specifically to a percutaneous suture management system and method, more specifically for suture fixation of tissue, through procedures such as for example open and arthroscopic surgeries.[0002]Arthroscopic suturing techniques and instruments have been developed in order to facilitate the suturing of tissue during arthroscopic surgical procedures. In arthroscopic surgery, access to a surgical work site within a patient's body is normally provided through one or more portals formed directly in the patient's body or through one or more cannulas inserted into the body of a patient through small incisions. A chosen surgical procedure is carried out by a surgeon through the use of elongated instruments inserted through these cannulas and it often becomes necessary to suture selected tissue at the surgical work site.[0003]Since the work site is only accessible through a small portal or ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and method for percutaneous suture management system that enables an operator to quickly and accurately position a suture at any desired location and optionally along a preferred suture pathway without constraint by cannula or other portal systems. The apparatus includes a member of a rigid flexible elastic material, the member including a body portion and an aperture portion with the member adapted for delivery through an axial longitudinal channel of a percutaneous delivery subsystem, the aperture portion including an expanded mode having a lateral dimension greater than an inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion extends outside the channel and a collapsed mode wherein the lateral dimension is not greater than the inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion is within the channel, the channel including a first axial opening and a second axial opening with the aperture portion transitioning from the expanded mode to the collapsed mode when inserted into the openings and the aperture transitioning from the collapsed mode to the expanded mode when exiting from the openings.

Problems solved by technology

These instruments are typically available for use exclusively through the cannula and because cannula placement locations are limited, the ability of a surgeon to place and tie each suture at optimum locations is constrained, both by placement of the cannula as well as limitations of working exclusively through the cannula when placing and tying each suture.

In instances in which it would be desirable to position or distribute sutures through a wide range of angles, it becomes impractical to use arthroscopic techniques due to the relatively large number of portals / cannulas that are required.

NiTi alloys are generally more expensive and possess superior mechanical properties when compared to copper-based SMAs.

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