Multiple-firing suture fixation device and methods for using and manufacturing same

1. A multiple-firing clip device, comprising:

a plurality of suture fixation clips each having an internal hollow shaped to receive therein at least one suture;

a hollow shaft having a distal fixation location, an exterior surface, and an interior; the plurality of the suture fixation clips stacked in the interior, defining a first clip, and configured to move along a longitudinal axis; the shaft defining a lateral opening proximal to the distal fixation location; the lateral opening communicating between the interior and an environment outside the exterior surface;

a device movement carriage within the interior of the shaft and configured to deliver the first clip to the distal fixation location by moving the first clip longitudinally from a first proximal position into the distal fixation location; and

a shuttle longitudinally movable on the shaft and comprising:

a shuttle body;

a snare at least partly within the shuttle body, the snare having a distal snare portion; and

a snare-movement assembly comprising:

a snare-extender slide movably disposed with respect to the shuttle body along a given extent, the given extent defining a slide distance and a distal end; and

a snare extender connected to the snare and to the snare-extender slide, the snare extender configured to extend at least the distal snare portion distally to an extent that is at least equal to the slide distance responsive to movement of the snare-extender slide up to the distal end of the given extent and, with that extension, through the distal fixation location.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft comprises a distal shaft end and a distal shaft portion between the lateral opening and the distal shaft end; and

the shuttle is configured to pull a portion of the at least one suture temporarily secured in the snare from distal of the distal shaft end proximally through the internal hollow of the first clip, through the distal shaft portion, and out a side of the shaft through the lateral opening.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the snare-extender slide comprises a rack fixed thereto and moving correspondingly with the snare-extender slide;

the snare has a proximal snare portion and a distal snare end;

the snare extender comprises a pinion having a spool and is operatively connected to the rack to rotate as the rack moves with the snare-extender slide;

the shaft comprises a distal shaft end and a distal shaft portion between the lateral opening and the distal shaft end; and

at least the proximal snare portion is attached to the spool such that, as the spool rotates with the pinion, the distal snare end extends away from the spool through the distal shaft portion, through the distal fixation location, and through the internal hollow of the first clip.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein at least the proximal snare portion is wound on the spool such that, as the spool rotates with the pinion, the distal snare end extends away from the spool through the distal shaft portion, through the distal fixation location, through the internal hollow of the first clip, and distal of the distal shaft end.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the rack has teeth and the pinion is a speed-increasing gear sized to rotate at a gear ratio greater than 1:1 with respect to movement of the rack.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the snare extender is configured to extend at least the distal snare portion distally to an extent that is longer than the slide distance responsive to movement of the snare-extender slide up to the distal end of the given extent and, with that extension, through the distal fixation location.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the snare is configured to laterally pass into the interior of the shaft through the lateral opening from the environment, is configured to pass through the internal hollow of the first clip, and is configured to pass out of the interior of the shaft distally past the distal fixation location to temporarily secure a suture portion of the at least one suture within the snare; and

the shuttle is configured to pull the suture portion out a side of the shaft through the lateral opening to present at least some of the suture portion out from the lateral opening for access by a user.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein:

the suture portion temporarily secured in the snare comprises two free ends of a surgical suture;

the suture portion being pulled proximally through the first clip comprises the two free ends such that, at a given time, four lengths of the surgical suture are being pulled through the first clip; and

the at least some of the suture portion pulled out through the lateral opening for access by a user is the two free ends of the surgical suture.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal hollow is one of a lumen and a slot.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device movement carriage is configured to deliver the first clip to the distal fixation location by moving the first clip longitudinally from the first proximal position into the distal fixation location and returning without the first clip to a second proximal position one of:

substantially the same as the second proximal position; and

different from the first proximal position.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein, responsive to the device movement carriage returning to the second proximal position, the interior is open to the environment through the lateral opening.

12. The device according to claim 10 , wherein, during or after the device movement carriage is in a process of returning to the second proximal position without the first clip, the device movement carriage moves a previously second of the clips into a clip loading position to become a new first clip.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first clip has a proximal side;

the snare-movement assembly comprises a hollow snare guide having a distal guide portion movable from external of the shaft into the interior through the lateral opening and up to the proximal side of the first clip;

the distal snare portion is steady with respect to the snare guide when the distal guide portion is external to the shaft; and

the distal snare portion is configured to extend from the snare guide responsive to locating the distal guide portion within the interior.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shuttle body defines a lumen surrounding the shaft.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the distal snare portion comprises a loop shaped to extend through the interior of the shaft through the lateral opening from the environment, to pass through the internal hollow of the first clip, and to pass out of the interior of the shaft distally past the distal fixation location.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the loop is substantially ovular.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the shuttle body has a distal side;

the snare-extender slide has a proximal-most, unactuated position and a distal-most, actuated position;

the shuttle further comprises a snare-extension tube having a distal tube end adjacent the distal side of the shuttle body; and

the snare has a tip and an overall length set to position the tip just outside the distal side of the shuttle body when the snare-extender slide is in the proximal-most, unactuated position.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein:

the shaft comprises a distal shaft end; and

the snare-extension tube is configured to drop at least the distal tube end into the lateral opening of the shaft as the shuttle moves towards the distal shaft end.

19. A multiple-firing clip device, comprising:

a hollow shaft comprising an exterior surface, an interior configured to receive therein a stack of suture fixation clips, and a distal end opening shaped to eject at least one of the suture fixation clips therefrom; the shaft defining a lateral opening communicating between the interior and an environment outside the exterior surface and a distal shaft portion between the lateral opening and the distal end opening; and

a shuttle longitudinally movable on the shaft and comprising:

a shuttle body defining a lumen surrounding the shaft;

a snare connected to the shuttle body and having a distal snare portion; and

a snare extension slide:

movably disposed with respect to the shuttle body along a given extent, the given extent defining a slide distance and a distal end; and

operatively connected to the snare to extend at least the distal snare portion distally along an extent having a length that is at least equal to the slide distance responsive to movement of the snare extension slide up to the distal end of the given extent, and, with that extension, through the lateral opening from the environment into the interior, through the distal shaft portion, and through the distal end opening.

20. A multiple-firing clip device, comprising:

a plurality of suture fixation clips each having an internal hollow shaped to receive therein at least one suture;

a hollow shaft having a distal fixation location, an exterior surface, and an interior; the plurality of the suture fixation clips stacked in the interior, defining a first clip, and configured to move along a longitudinal axis; the shaft defining a lateral opening proximal to the distal fixation location; the lateral opening communicating between the interior and an environment outside the exterior surface;

a clip movement means within the interior of the shaft to for delivering the first clip to the distal fixation location by moving the first clip longitudinally from a first proximal position into the distal fixation location; and

a shuttle longitudinally movable on the shaft and comprising:

a shuttle body;

a snare at least partly within the shuttle body, the snare having a distal snare portion; and

a snare-movement means comprising:

a snare-extender slide movably disposed with respect to the shuttle body along a given extent, the given extent defining a slide distance and a distal end; and

a snare extender connected to the snare and to the snare-extender slide, the snare extender configured to extend at least the distal snare portion distally to an extent that is at least equal to the slide distance responsive to movement of the snare-extender slide up to the distal end of the given extent and, with that extension, through the distal fixation location.