Tools and methods for removing anchors from medical leads involve a guide portion and a blade. The lead is inserted within a lead passageway of the guide portion of the tool and the tool is moved along so that the blade contacts the anchor and cuts a slit in the anchor as the tool. Once the blade has cut the slit through the entire anchor, the anchor comes free of the lead and the tool can be removed. The tool may include a manner of opening and closing the guide portion so as to provide access to the lead when open and to contain the lead when closed. Opening the guide portion allows the lead to be inserted or removed by laterally moving the lead into or out of the lead passageway such that the tool may be installed or removed at any available point along the lead.

An apparatus and method for non-surgically creating a restriction in a tissue is provided where a binding mechanism is inserted into the tissue. This invention also relates to a method and apparatus for creating a stoma of a variable and reproducible size in a hollow organ.

A heart implant alignment and delivery device includes an elongate body having an opening that is disposed near a distal end of the elongate body. The opening is configured so that a heart implant is positionable within the opening with the heart implant exposed to a surrounding environment and so that the heart implant is substantially aligned with the distal end of the elongate body. The device also includes an implant reposition member, such as a cable, that is releasably coupleable with the heart implant and that is operationally coupled with the elongate body so that a first operation of the implant reposition member causes the heart implant to be retractably deployed from the opening of the elongate body. The first operation of the implant reposition member may be effected via a handle mechanism that is attached to a proximal end of the elongate body.

Apparatus and methods are described for treatment of morbid obesity using minimally invasive techniques. The apparatus includes a system of components that may be used separately or in combination for effectively reducing stomach volume, bypassing a portion of the stomach and/or small intestines, reducing nutrient absorption in the stomach and/or small intestines and/or depositing minimally or undigested food farther than normal into the intestines, thereby stimulating intestinal responses. The components described include an artificial stoma device, a gastric sleeve device, an intestinal sleeve device, a combined gastrointestinal sleeve device and permanent and detachable attachment systems. Also described are devices for delivering and deploying the components of the system.

An anchor delivery system is described. The system includes a guide and an anchor delivery tool disposed within the guide. The tool includes a shaft and a handle coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft. The handle includes a hub and a nose cone coupled to the hub. In an embodiment, the tool further includes a knob coupled to the hub and located between the handle and the nose cone. In an embodiment, the system further includes an anchor, such as a suture anchor, coupled to a distal portion of the shaft. An anchor delivery tool and a method of repairing soft tissue are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described for treatment of morbid obesity using minimally invasive techniques. The apparatus includes a system of components that may be used separately or in combination for effectively reducing stomach volume, bypassing a portion of the stomach and/or small intestines, reducing nutrient absorption in the stomach and/or small intestines and/or depositing minimally or undigested food farther than normal into the intestines, thereby stimulating intestinal responses. The components described include an artificial stoma device, a gastric sleeve device, an intestinal sleeve device, a combined gastrointestinal sleeve device and permanent and detachable attachment systems. Also described are devices for delivering and deploying the components of the system.

The present invention relates generally to a closure system for use in surgical procedures.

A tissue anchor includes a central body extending between a first lengthwise end and a second lengthwise end. A first arm extends outwardly from the central body, and a second arm extends outwardly from the central body and spaced from the first arm. The tissue anchor is movable between a collapsed state and a deployed state. In the collapsed state, the central body extends linearly from the first lengthwise end to the second lengthwise end of the central body along an axis and the first and second arms extend parallel to the axis. In the deployed state, the central body extends non-linearly and the first and second arms extend radially outwardly from the central body.

A single delivery needle configuration accommodates multiple soft tissue fixation devices at once. The configuration eliminates the need to reload a fixation delivery device when multiple fixation devices are required. Further, this configuration can include different variations of fixation devices. In embodiments, these fixation devices are typically manufactured from standard braided polyester suture that is cut into segments with predetermined lengths. This design allows the braided suture segments to be preloaded with a suture threaded through the preloaded braided suture segments with a slip knot placed on the proximal end of a first braided suture segments (e.g., distal fixation device). The tailing suture from the slip knot passes through the second, third, fourth braided suture segments, or any required quantity of braided suture segments that have been preloaded into the delivery device. The suture passes completely through a delivery device.

System for use with tissue of a heart comprises a tissue anchor comprising an engaging head that has a coupling eyelet that defines an eyelet plane, and a helical tissue-coupling element, reversibly anchorable to the tissue, and having a central helix axis that lies on the eyelet plane. The system also comprises an anchor driver, having a distal portion that has a casing that defines a slot, the slot defining a slot plane, and dimensioned to receive at least part of the eyelet therein in a manner in which the eyelet plane is coplanar with the slot plane. The anchor driver also comprises a detent, configured to reversibly inhibit movement of the eyelet with respect to the slot. The anchor driver is configured to anchor the tissue anchor to the tissue by rotating the tissue anchor by applying a rotational force to the eyelet. Other embodiments are also provided.