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

Claim 18:
19. 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 jaw of a repair instrument through the opening and along an internal surface of the first leaflet of tissue, a handle of the repair instrument disposed on an external side of the tissue, the repair instrument distal jaw housing a first fixation member coupled to a suture;
placing a proximal jaw of the repair instrument along an external surface of the first leaflet of tissue, so as to stabilize the first leaflet between the distal and proximal jaw and while stabilized, actuating the repair instrument to pass the first fixation member and suture in a retrograde direction towards the proximal jaw, from the internal surface to the external surface of the first leaflet;
deploying the first fixation member on the external surface, and once deployed,
extending the suture through the second leaflet of tissue with the repair instrument;
deploying 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.