 Tissue engineered blood vessels and apparatus for their manufacture |
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| Centrifugal blood pump with impeller blades forming a spin inducer |
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| Magnetically levitated pump apparatus |
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| Dirk-based epicardial defibrillation electrode |
| The present invention provides an epicardial patch electrode which penetrates the epicardium. The ... |
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| Compression sleeve |
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| Multiple mode photonic stimulation device |
| OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, the schematic block diagram of the inventive stimulating ... |
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| Magnetic mattress pad |
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| Methods of and apparatus for treating vascular defects |
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| Catheter system with push rod for advancement of balloon along guidewire |
| This invention resides in a balloon-tipped catheter system for angioplasty procedures which permits ... |
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| Catheter with expandable wire mesh tip |
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Minimally invasive mitral valve repair method and apparatus
| Details |
Inventors: Allen, William J.; Bachman, Alan; Reed, Scott; Adams, Ray; Steckel, Robert R.;
Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (Irvine, CA)
Primary Examiner: Woo; Julian W.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: James; John Christopher
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for the stabilization and fastening of two pieces of tissue. A single device may be used to both stabilize and fasten the two pieces of tissue, or a separate stabilizing device may be used in conjunction with a fastening device. The stabilizing device may comprise a probe with vacuum ports and/or mechanical clamps disposed at the distal end to approximate the two pieces of tissue. After the pieces of tissue are stabilized, they are fastened together using sutures or clips. One exemplary embodiment of a suture-based fastener comprises a toggle and suture arrangement deployed by a needle, wherein the needle enters the front side of the tissue and exits the blind side. In a second exemplary embodiment, the suture-based fastener comprises a needle connected to a suture. The needle enters the blind side of the tissue and exits the front side. The suture is then tied in a knot to secure the pieces of tissue. One example of a clip-based fastener comprises a spring-loaded clip having two arms with tapered distal ends and barbs. The probe includes a deployment mechanism which causes the clip to pierce and lockingly secure the two pieces of tissue. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a number of devices and methods for fastening or "approximating" tissue pieces together.
The term "tissue pieces" is to be understood to mean discrete pieces that may be straight, curved, tubular, etc.
, so long as the pieces are initially disconnected.
For example, many of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are especially useful for joining two leaflets of a heart valve.
The coapting edges of the leaflets thus constitute the "tissue pieces.
" In other contexts, the invention can be used to anastomose two vessels, either end-to-end, in a T-junction, or otherwise.
In these cases, the two vessels define the "tissue pieces.
" One specific application of using the invention to perform an anastomosis is in a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure.
Another example of an application of the present invention is in wound closure, wherein the facing edges of the wound are joined.
In sum, the present invention in its broadest sense should not be construed to be limited to any particular tissue pieces, although particular examples may be shown and disclosed.
The present invention includes a number of devices and method for both stabilizing the tissue pieces to be joined, and fastening them together.
Some embodiments disclose only the stabilizing function, others only the fastening function, and still other show combination stabilizing and fastening devices.
It should be understood that certain of the stabilizing devices can be used with certain of the fastening devices, even though they are not explicitly shown in joint operation.
In other words, based on the explanation of the particular device, one of skill in the art should have little trouble combining the features of certain of two such devices.
Therefore, it should be understood that many of the stabilizing and fastening devices are interchangeable, and the invention covers all permutations thereof.
Furthermore, many of the fastening devices disclosed herein can be deployed separately from many of the stabilizing devices, and the two can therefore be deployed in parallel
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Heart Surgery 
