Devices for delivering helical anchors
A hollow catheter segment comprising a longitudinally extending slot region including a slot, at least one longitudinally backbone region and longitudinally extending intermediate regions between either adjacent backbone regions or between one of the backbone regions and the slot region, the slot and backbone regions being all disjoint from each other, the slot region, at least one backbone region and intermediate regions being all distributed circumferentially around the driving section. The catheter segment includes plurality of first and second slits extending radially therethrough and disjoint from each other, each first slit extending around the catheter segment between slot region first and second side edges and the second slits each extending between one of a backbone region first and second side edges and either a backbone region first or second side edges of an adjacent backbone region or the slot.
1 . A device for insertion into a lumen of an elongated catheter having a proximal and distal end, the device comprising:
an elongate tubular outer driver sized to fit into the catheter lumen;
an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
a plurality of anchors positioned within the driver passageway adjacent respective driving sections within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into biological tissue;
wherein the cooperating features comprise:
a slot extending along a length of each driving section of the driving sections, the slot configured to direct a respective anchor of the plurality of anchors helically along the respective driving section; and
a torque section connected to a proximal end of the driving section, the torque section configured to transmit torque between the actuator and the driving section,
wherein the cooperating features comprise an anchor protrusion of each anchor received within a respective slot to allow movement of the respective anchor protrusion along the respective slot.
2 . The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein each slot is distributed helically around the respective driving section.
3 . The device as defined in claim 1 , each driving section further comprising a plurality of first slits and a plurality of second slits, wherein at least one of the plurality of first and plurality of second slits extend between at least a portion of a surface of the respective driving section.
4 . The device as defined in claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first and plurality of second slits are circumferential.
5 . The device as defined in claim 1 , each driving section further comprising at least one backbone region extending along a length of the respective driving section.
6 . The device as defined in claim 5 , each driving section further comprising at least one intermediate section extending between adjacent backbone regions or between one of the at least one backbone region and the slot.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are axially rotatable relative to each other and longitudinally fixed relative to each other.
8 . A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:
an elongate tubular outer driver;
an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
wherein the cooperating features comprise at least one protrusion protruding in the driver passageway from one of the inner and outer drivers and a protrusion extending from the proximal end of each of the anchors slidably received in a slot within the driver passageway from the other of the one of the inner and outer drivers.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are axially rotatable relative to each other and longitudinally fixed relative to each other.
10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one protrusion comprises helical protrusions having a pitch similar to a pitch of each of the plurality of anchors.
11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the slot extends helically along the outer driver and wherein the at least one protrusion protrudes from the inner driver into the driver passageway.
12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the cooperating features comprise a slot in the outer driver extending along one or more driving sections and a protrusion extending from the proximal end of each of the anchors that is received in a respective slot to cause the respective protrusion to move along the respective slot to advance the respective anchor helically within the driver passageway.
13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein each slot extends helically along each of the one or more driving sections.
14 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the actuator is configured such that one or more additional anchors proximal to a distal-most first anchor of the plurality of anchors advances distally to a distally adjacent driving section when the one of the inner and outer drivers is rotated to advance the first anchor from the driver passageway.
15 . A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:
an elongate tubular outer driver;
an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
wherein the cooperating features comprise a non-circular mounting portion on the proximal end of each anchor and a corresponding non-circular inside configuration of the outer driver.
16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the cooperating features further comprise protrusion on the inner driver configured to direct the anchors helically within the driver passageway when the inner and outer drivers are rotated relative to each other.
17 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are axially rotatable relative to each other and longitudinally fixed relative to each other.
18 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are flexible.
19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the outer driver comprises one or more backbone regions comprising slits formed in driving sections of the outer driver.
20 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are flexible.
21 . The device of claim 20 , wherein the outer driver comprises one or more backbone regions comprising slits formed in driving sections of the outer driver.
22 . A device for delivering a plurality of anchors into tissue, comprising:
an elongate tubular outer driver;
an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
the plurality of anchors positioned adjacent one another within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into tissue,
wherein the inner and outer drivers are flexible, and
wherein the actuator is operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating one or both of the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially:
a) rotate one of the inner and outer drivers to advance a first anchor of the plurality of anchors from the driver passageway;
b) rotate both of the inner and outer drivers to drive the distal end of the first anchor into tissue;
c) rotate one of the inner and outer drivers to release the proximal end of the first anchor; and
d) repeat steps a) to c) one or more times to deliver one or more additional anchors of the plurality of anchors.
23 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the inner and outer drivers are axially rotatable relative to each other and longitudinally fixed relative to each other.
24 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the cooperating features comprise a slot in the outer driver extending along one or more driving sections and a protrusion extending from the proximal end of each of the anchors that is received in a respective slot to cause the respective protrusion to move along the respective slot to advance the respective anchor helically within the driver passageway.
25 . A device for insertion into a lumen of an elongated catheter having a proximal and distal end, the device comprising:
an elongate tubular outer driver sized to fit into the catheter lumen;
an elongate inner driver, the inner and outer drivers concentric relative to each other and defining a driver passageway therebetween;
a plurality of anchors positioned within the driver passageway adjacent respective driving sections within the driver passageway, each anchor including a helical anchor body defining anchor body proximal and distal ends and an anchor body passageway extending therethrough between the anchor body proximal and distal ends;
cooperating features on both of the inner and outer drivers within the driver passageway and on the proximal end of each of the anchors that prevent pure translation of the anchors within the driver passageway while allowing helical movement of the anchors within the driver passageway; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the inner and outer drivers and operable for selectively rotating the inner and outer drivers relative to each other to sequentially deliver each anchor of the plurality of anchors helically from the driver passageway into biological tissue;
wherein the cooperating features comprise:
a slot extending along a length of each driving section of the driving sections, the slot configured to direct a respective anchor of the plurality of anchors helically along the respective driving section; wherein each slot is distributed helically around the respective driving section; and
a torque section connected to a proximal end of the driving section, the torque section configured to transmit torque between the actuator and the driving section.
26 . The device as defined in claim 25 , each driving section further comprising a plurality of first slits and a plurality of second slits, wherein at least one of the plurality of first and plurality of second slits extend between at least a portion of a surface of the respective driving section.
27 . The device as defined in claim 26 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first and plurality of second slits are circumferential.
28 . The device as defined in claim 25 , each driving section further comprising at least one backbone region extending along a length of the driving section.
29 . The device as defined in claim 28 , each driving section further comprising at least one intermediate section extending between adjacent backbone regions or between one of the at least one backbone region and the slot.