Granted Patent B2

US 10,178,989 · App. 15/076,088 · Granted Jan 15, 2019

Inventors: William F Bennett (Sarasota, FL); Ramses Galaz Mendez (Hermosillo, MX); Daniel Francisco Gomez Romo (Hermosillo, MX)

Assignee: Ziptek LLC.

A61B17/0401A61B17/0466A61B17/06166A61B17/842A61F2/3662A61B2017/044A61B2017/0404A61B2017/045A61B2017/0414A61B2017/0417A61B2017/0427A61B2017/0438A61B2017/0441A61B2017/0456A61B2017/0462A61B2017/06176A61F2002/368

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

a tissue restraint/suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;

a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;

a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms with an inner end of each of said flex arms defining said central locking aperture;

each of said inner ends of said plurality of flex arms curving radially inwardly from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for defining said inlet side of said central locking aperture to be substantially larger than said exit side of said central locking aperture;

said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force; and

said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.

2. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said body has a generally oval cross-section with a central region of said body being thicker than a peripheral region of said body.

3. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots extends radially outwardly from said central locking aperture and terminates at an outer end; and

a slot relief hole located at each of said outer ends of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots.

4. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots extends radially outwardly from said central locking aperture and terminates at an outer end; and

an elongated flex arm slot located between adjacent outer ends of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots for defining outer ends of said plurality of flex arms.

5. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots extends radially outwardly from said central locking aperture and terminates at an outer end;

an elongated flex arm slot located between adjacent outer ends of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots, and

said each of said flex arm being bounded by adjacent radial slots and adjacent elongated flex arm slot and said central locking aperture.

6. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said central locking aperture provides a differential force ratio between the force required to move the suture in the reverse direction, a “NO-GO” force, and the force required to move the suture in the forward direction, a “GO” force exceeding a 1.5:1 ratio.

7. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

a tissue restraint/suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;

a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;

a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms;

an inner end of each of said plurality of flex arms defining said central locking aperture;

a plurality of elongated flex arm slots defining outer ends of said plurality of flex arms;

each of said plurality of flex arms curving radially inwardly from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for defining said central locking aperture with said inlet side being substantially larger than the longitudinally spaced protuberances and with said exit side being substantially smaller than the longitudinally spaced protuberances;

said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force; and

said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.

8. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said body has a generally oval cross-section with said central region of said body being thicker than a peripheral region of said body.

9. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment as set forth in claim 7 , wherein each of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots extends radially outwardly from said central locking aperture and terminates at an outer end; and

a slot relief hole located at each of said outer ends of said plurality of spaced apart radial slots.

10. In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

a tissue restraint suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;

a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;

a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms;

each of said flex arms extending from an inner end of said flex arm defining said central locking aperture to an outer end;

each of said inner ends of said flex arms curving radially inwardly along an axial distance from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for defining said central locking aperture with said inlet side being substantially larger than said exit side of said central locking aperture;

said flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force; and

said flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

Cited By (10)

US 12,201,289 US 12,207,814 US 12,213,870 US 12,226,307 US 12,268,381 US 12,396,839 US 12,419,629 US 12,453,545 US 12,558,087 US 12,667,456