Patent ID: 7270671

Claim:
An implantable device for semiautomatic suturing using a surgical thread, the suturing enabling biological and/or artificial tissues to be united, the device comprising: blocking means enabling two strands of the thread of a suture to be connected together in a blocking zone; and a bearing element having a bearing surface for bearing against the tissues to be sutured together, said bearing surface comprising a contact zone in which the bearing surface is adapted to be in contact with tissue, and controlled tensioning means for applying controlled tensioning to said thread, and suitable for exerting a tension having a first predetermined tension value independent of tension exerted on the threads before blocking thereof after the two strands of said thread have been blocked together using said blocking means, with the junction between said bearing element and said blocking zone of the device being provided by said controlled tensioning means, wherein said controlled tensioning means is constructed and arranged to enable the distance between said blocking zone and said contact zone adapted to be in contact with the tissue to be adjusted after blocking of the strands of thread by the blocking means, between: an initial distance in which said two strands of thread can be blocked together; and a final distance suitable for exerting said controlled tension having said first predetermined tension value after the blocking, wherein said tensioning means comprises resilient junction means between said contact zone and said blocking zone so as to enable the distance between said contact zone and said blocking zone to be adjusted between: a controlled initial distance in which the spacing between said contact zone and said blocking zone is controlled by at least one of a first link element and a first spacer element, and said initial distance corresponding to a distance in which said blocking zone and said contact zone are in a close-together position by applying compression compared with a spaced-apart, rest position; and said final distance corresponds to a position of force equilibrium in which the distance between said contact zone and said blocking zone is no longer controlled by said at least one of said first link element and said first spacer element.