Patent ID: 9743919
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A stitch lock assembly, comprising: a common strand of suture having a body including a first segment and a second segment of the common strand, the common strand being elongate along a central axis so as to define a length, the second segment including a first side and a second side that are on opposite sides of the central axis, the first segment woven through the second segment along a portion of the length of the second segment so as to define a stitch lock having at least two woven segments of the first segment that are woven through the second segment, each of the at least two woven segments defined at least by a respective entry location where the first segment enters one of the first and second sides of the second segment, and a respective exit location where the first segment exits from the other of the first and second sides of the second segment, wherein the respective entry and exit locations are formed on the body, and the common strand at the first segment passes through the body between the respective entry and exit locations at the second segment so as to define each of the at least two woven segments, wherein 1) the at least two woven segments are configured to translate through the second segment when the second segment is in tension at a first level of tension that is less than a threshold level of tension, and 2) the second segment applies a compressive force to the first segment when the second segment is in tension at a second level of tension that is at least substantially equal to the threshold level of tension so as to prevent the at least two woven segments of the first segment from translating through the second segment; and wherein the common strand is configured to attach to first and second anchors, such that as the at least two woven segments translate through the second segment, the common strand 1) applies a respective actuation force to each of the first and second anchors so as to cause the first and second anchors to expand, and 2) biases the first and second anchors toward each other.