Patent ID: 7815662

Claim:
A suture anchor for securing a section of a suture to patient tissue, comprising: a hollow member having an outer surface defining an enclosure, the member having a longitudinal axis and a slot through a portion of the outer surface in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, said slot providing an opening into the enclosure; and, a one-way valve positioned within said enclosure at said slot to allow entry of a suture through the slot and to prevent the exit of the suture from said enclosure; wherein the slot is configured such that it forms a cut through said hollow member at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hollow member wherein said one-way valve is a resilient wire having a first end attached to a first surface within the enclosure and a second free end biased toward and contacting a second surface within the enclosure, said second surface of the enclosure facing and being spaced from the first surface of the enclosure, said second free end being positioned to span the slot at an apex of the slot thereof in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hollow member.