Patent ID: 9078652
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A system for locking a clamp onto at least one suture having a thickness, comprising: an elongated delivery tool having a delivery tube with a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therein, an elongated retention member that extends along the delivery tube, and an actuation trigger on a proximal end of the tool that causes axial displacement of the retention member; and a plurality of suture locking clamps arranged axially in a stack within the delivery tube each having a bifurcated clamp member including a pair of substantially similar clamp halves with an exterior surface and an inner surface facing the inner surface of the other clamp half, the clamp halves being fixed axially with respect to one another while being connected for movement toward or away from one another to form a variable-sized side-opening slot therebetween perpendicular to the axis sized to receive a suture, wherein each clamp further includes a biasing member that, in the absence of an object in the slot, urges the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together to clamp onto the suture, wherein the delivery tool retention member is positioned between the clamp halves of each locking clamp against the force of the respective biasing member to maintain the slot width large enough to permit passage of a suture therethrough, and wherein removal of the retention member permits the biasing member to urge the inner surfaces of the clamp halves together and clamp the suture(s) therebetween, and the retention member may be retracted from between the clamp halves of just the distal most clamp to deploy the distal clamp onto the suture.