Patent ID: 7887551

Claim:
A delivery device for repairing a meniscal tear comprising: a needle having a wall defining a lumen with a longitudinal channel, the needle having a beveled tip and the wall defining a longitudinal slot therethrough; a handle coupled to the needle; a pusher positioned within the lumen and actuatable at the handle; and an implant including an elongate first retainer positioned within the longitudinal channel and including a protrusion extending through the longitudinal slot in the wall of the needle such that pulling on the handle of the delivery device after advancement of a portion of the needle having the first retainer through meniscal tissue causes the first retainer to be deployed from the needle by interaction of the protrusion and the meniscal tissue, the first retainer having a beveled distal end and defining a through hole; and an elongate second retainer positioned within the longitudinal channel proximally of the first retainer and including a protrusion extending through the longitudinal slot in the wall of the needle such that pulling on the handle of the delivery device after advancement of a portion of the needle having the second retainer through the meniscal tissue causes the second retainer to be deployed from the needle by the interaction of the protrusion and the meniscal tissue, the second retainer having a beveled distal end and defining a through hole, the pusher being arranged to advance the second retainer distally toward the needle tip; and suture extending through the first and second retainer holes to connect the first and second retainers and having a slip knot formed therein between the first and second retainers prior to advancement of the needle tip into the tissue, the slip knot including a portion defining a loop, only one of the first and second retainers being slidably attached to the loop such that the slidably-attached retainer is adapted to limit the loop from passing through the slip knot and untying the slip knot, a portion of the suture capable of sliding through the slip knot so as to either shorten the loop or close a distance between the two retainers as a result of pulling on only a free limb of the suture to compress the meniscal tear.