Patent ID: 8876865

Claim:
A suture to be used in a procedure applied to tissue, comprising: an elongated suture body including first and second ends; and a plurality of bi-directional retainers spaced apart from one another and extending from said elongated suture body between said first and second ends; wherein each bi-directional retainer is capable of initially being deployed through tissue in either one of a first or second direction, wherein said first and second directions are opposite one another, wherein: each bi-directional retainer can be collapsed in either of said first or second direction prior to deployment in tissue, the direction of collapse being dependent upon the direction in which the bi-directional retainer is deployed through tissue; once said bi-directional retainer is collapsed due to the bi-directional retainer being deployed through tissue in the first direction, the bi-directional retainer will yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn in the first direction, and will resist motion of the elongated suture body in the second direction; and once said bi-directional retainer is collapsed due to the bi-directional retainer being deployed through tissue in the second direction, the bi-directional retainer will yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn in the second direction, and will resist motion of the elongated suture body in the first direction, and wherein each bi-directional retainer includes grooves that guide how the bi-directional retainer collapses.