Patent ID: 11969166
Assignee: SMITH & NEPHEW ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LIMITED
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A method of repairing an opening through tissue, the opening disposed between a first leaflet and a second leaflet of tissue comprising:
placing a distal end of a repair instrument along an internal surface of the first leaflet of tissue, the distal end housing a needle, a first fixation member and a suture, the needle slidably housed along the distal end and releasably coupled to the first fixation member, the suture fixedly coupled to the first fixation member, the placing with a handle of the repair instrument disposed on an external side of the tissue;
engaging the repair instrument distal end with the internal surface of the first leaflet, and while engaged sliding the needle relative to the repair instrument distal end along the distal end and then through the first leaflet in a retrograde direction to pass the first fixation member and the suture in a retrograde direction towards the handle, from the internal surface to an external surface of the first leaflet;
deploying the first fixation member on the external surface of the first leaflet, and once deployed;
extending the suture through the second leaflet of tissue;
placing a second fixation member coupled to the suture on an external surface of the second leaflet of tissue; and
tensioning the suture to repair the opening through the tissue.