Patent ID: 9603596
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A system for non-invasively closing a tissue opening, the system comprising: an assembled pair of identical closure components, each component including: a strip configured to be affixed on a first side thereof to the skin; and an assembly mounted on a second side of the strip and having a height from the strip, the assembly having a forward face and an opposed rearward face, the forward face including a sloped portion that is sloped rearward as it approaches the strip; wherein each of the assembled pair of components includes a tab having a proximal end affixed to the forward face of the assembly, and wherein each of the assembled pair of components includes a female connective element for receiving the tab from the other component and into which the tab has been placed, wherein the tab (i) has a length sufficient to reach and be received by the female connective element of the other closure component and (ii) is configured in combination with the female connective element so as to prevent backward motion of the closure components apart from each other when the closure components are drawn together; and so that, when the assembled pair is affixed to the skin in a manner wherein each of the strips is disposed on an opposite side of the tissue opening, the assemblies of the closure components can be drawn together to close the opening non-invasively while causing substantial contact of the sloped portions of the forward faces of the components with one another, in a manner that each assembly pivots about a location of contact of each forward face, thus causing lifting of the forward faces, resulting in upward traction of the tissue edges that define the opening and reliable eversion of the tissue edges.