System and methods for closing a fascial opening

Inventors

Chin, Albert K • Kramer, Thomas A.

Assignees

TAS Medical Inc

Abstract

A system and method for closing a fascial opening is disclosed. The system may include a strap that may be locked into each of a pair of anchors placed anterior to a muscle and on opposite sides of a fascial opening, one or more delivery tubes for delivering the anchors, and a needle for pulling the strap into each anchor. The method may include the steps of placing a dilating port through a skin incision, inserting an anchor through the dilating port, placing a strap into the body cavity, whereupon the strap may be pulled through the anchor. A second anchor may be placed on the contralateral side of the defect so that the strap may be pulled through the second anchor and cinched tightly closing the defect. The anchors may have a locking aperture that engages with the strap.

Core Innovation

The disclosure relates to a laparoscopic system and method for closing a defect such as a fascial opening or ventral hernia. A ratcheting one-way barbed strap is positioned across the defect and is retained by a pair of expanding anchors disposed anterior to muscles on opposing sides of the defect. The anchors are expanded so that their footprint is larger than a diameter of a delivery needle, addressing the relationship between anchor footprint and a needle or tract puncture.

The method includes dilating ports that create access through small skin incisions and delivering the anchors through delivery tubes using an anchor delivery plunger. A delivery needle is inserted through an opening in a body and through a posterior side of a muscle to introduce a first end of the strap into the body. A hook needle is inserted through a first anchor and through the opposing muscle to engage the strap and pull the first end of the strap out of the body, and a second anchor is positioned over a second end of the strap.

The anchors include expanding anchor mechanics, including toggle or living hinge expanding anchors, and the strap and anchors include a locking aperture for engagement for serial tensioning. The disclosure also describes an alternative strap delivery approach using a delivery needle with an internal stylet to advance a strap loop into the abdomen without a separate strap introducer. Optional scaling to multiple anchor and strap pairs along a long defect and positioning or sequence variations are described, including robotic operation and parallel tensioning, with hernia mesh optionally used.

Claims Coverage

The document contains two independent claims that share a common method of closing a defect using a delivery needle, a strap, a hook needle, and first and second expanding anchors placed anterior to muscles on opposing sides of the defect. Each independent claim further adds a distinct inventive limitation about anchor expansion mechanics.

Both independent claims cover closing a defect by percutaneously inserting a delivery needle through a posterior muscle side, introducing a strap, deploying first and second anchors onto anterior muscle surfaces on opposite sides, using a hook needle to engage and pull the strap ends, and then closing the defect. The claim-specific inventive coverage lies in how the anchors are expanded: either to a footprint larger than the delivery needle diameter, and/or by pressing the anchor top with a tube while pulling the strap through the anchor.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications