A barbed suture including a body with barbs on the periphery, a pointed end, and an anchor at one end to resist movement of the suture in the direction of the pointed end is provided. One or more limbs on the anchor may be provided, which may be arcuate, of varying lengths, and of varying distribution about the periphery of the suture body. Other anchor designs are provided. Methods of placing single-directional and bi-directional barbed sutures to approximate the tissue on each side of a wound and to position and support tissue in the absence of a wound, as in cosmetic surgery, are provided, and may include terminal J-stitches or S-stitches. Methods of placement may be made with sharp, pointed ends, which may be needles, or insertion devices. Sinusoidal patterns of sutures that have amplitudes generally perpendicular to the resultant holding force of the suture are provided.

A device for suturing a heart valve prosthesis includes an assembly cooperating with an actuation handle. The assembly is arranged at the free end of a manipulation rod and includes a set of needles arranged in parallel and pointing in a direction opposite the free end of the rod and connected in pairs by suture threads running along and inside the rod. The set of needles is maintained in a cylindrical configuration between a plurality of guides through which the pairs of needles slide freely, and a plurality of pusher elements supporting the pairs of needles from the direction of the free end of the rod. The guides and the pusher elements are movable along the rod and are connected pivotably to the rod so as to change, under the action of control means, from a position retracted along the rod to a deployed position spaced apart from the rod.

System for fixation of leaflets of a heart valve including a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft, a proximal end portion and a distal end portion configured to be positioned proximate native leaflets of a heart valve from a remote vascular access point, the delivery catheter further includes a rotatable actuator rod having a threaded fastener at a distal end thereof, and a fixation device releasably coupled by a threaded connection to the threaded fastener of the actuator rod. The fixation device includes a first arm moveable between a closed position and an open position, a second arm moveable between a closed position and an open position. The fixation device further includes a first gripping element movable relative to the first arm in the open position, the first gripping element biased toward the first arm to capture a first leaflet of the heart valve therebetween, and a second gripping element movable relative to the second arm in the open position, the second gripping element biased toward the second arm to capture a second leaflet of the heart valve therebetween. The first gripping element and the second gripping element each includes a plurality of barbs extending therefrom, the plurality of barbs of each of the first gripping element and the second gripping element being aligned transversely in at least one row. The fixation device further includes a covering disposed on each of the first gripping element and the second gripping element, wherein the plurality of barbs of the first gripping element and the second gripping element, respectively, protrude through the covering.

The present invention provides methods and devices for grasping, and optional repositioning and fixation of the valve leaflets to treat cardiac valve regurgitation, particularly mitral valve regurgitation. Such grasping will typically be atraumatic providing a number of benefits. For example, atraumatic grasping may allow repositioning of the devices relative to the leaflets and repositioning of the leaflets themselves without damage to the leaflets. However, in some cases it may be necessary or desired to include grasping which pierces or otherwise permanently affects the leaflets. In some of these cases, the grasping step includes fixation.

A surgical tissue connector system for moving a first internal body tissue to a position away from a second internal body tissue and then holding the first internal body tissue in the position. Tissue connectors are secured to cords such that the length of cord between the tissue connectors can be easily adjusted in a laparoscopic work space.

A hernia repair device including a main body, a plurality of suture needle ports, a plurality of suture needles and a central shaft. The central shaft includes a retractable distal flange disposed at a distal end portion of the central shaft and defines a central channel extending through the main body. The suture needle ports are adjustable between a first configuration in which the suture needle ports are housed entirely within the main body and a second configuration in which the suture needle ports partially extend from the distal end portion of the main body. The suture needles are adjustable between a first configuration in which the suture needles are housed entirely within the suture needle ports and a plurality of second configurations in which the suture needles partially extend from distal end portions of the suture needle ports. A hernia repair mesh is attached to the plurality of suture needles.

A method of repairing an aortic valve includes, in a following order: an aortic wall incision step; an aortic valve forming step; and an aortic wall suturing step. In the aortic wall incision step, an aortic wall is cut so as to expose an aortic valve side in the inside of an aortic duct to an open atmosphere. In the aortic valve forming step, the aortic valve is formed by restricting a distance between commissures disposed adjacently to each other by placing a thread between the plurality of commissures disposed adjacently to each other. In the aortic wall suturing step, the aortic wall cut in the aortic wall incision step is sutured so as to close the aortic wall.

System for fixation of leaflets of a heart valve including a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft, a proximal end portion and a distal end portion configured to be positioned proximate native leaflets of a heart valve from a remote vascular access point, the delivery catheter further includes a rotatable actuator rod having a threaded fastener at a distal end thereof, and a fixation device releasably coupled by a threaded connection to the threaded fastener of the actuator rod. The fixation device includes a first arm moveable between a closed position and an open position, a second arm moveable between a closed position and an open position. The fixation device further includes a first gripping element movable relative to the first arm in the open position, the first gripping element biased toward the first arm to capture a first leaflet of the heart valve therebetween, and a second gripping element movable relative to the second arm in the open position, the second gripping element biased toward the second arm to capture a second leaflet of the heart valve therebetween. The first gripping element and the second gripping element each includes a plurality of barbs extending therefrom, the plurality of barbs of each of the first gripping element and the second gripping element being aligned transversely in at least one row. The fixation device further includes a covering disposed on each of the first gripping element and the second gripping element, wherein the plurality of barbs of the first gripping element and the second gripping element, respectively, protrude through the covering.

System for fixation of leaflets of a heart valve including an implantable fixation device including a first distal element and a second distal element, a first proximal element moveable relative to the first distal element between a first position and a second position, and a second proximal element moveable relative to the second distal element between a first position and a second position. The system further includes a delivery device including a catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the implantable fixation device releasably coupled to the distal end portion of the catheter, the catheter defining at least one lumen extending between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion. The delivery device further includes a first proximal element line extending through the at least one lumen, the first proximal element line coupled to the first proximal element and actuatable to move the first proximal element between the first position and second position, and a second proximal element line extending through the at least one lumen, the second proximal element line coupled to the second proximal element and actuatable to move the second proximal element between the first position and second position. The first proximal element line and the second proximal element line are independently actuatable.

System for fixation of leaflets of a heart valve including a delivery catheter having an elongated shaft, a proximal end portion and a distal end portion configured to be positioned proximate native leaflets of a heart valve from a remote vascular access point, the delivery catheter further includes a rotatable actuator rod having a threaded fastener at a distal end thereof, and a fixation device releasably coupled by a threaded connection to the threaded fastener of the actuator rod. The fixation device includes a first arm moveable between a closed position and an open position, and a second arm moveable between a closed position and an open position. The fixation device further includes a first gripping element movable relative to the first arm in the open position, the first gripping element biased toward the first arm to capture a first leaflet of the heart valve therebetween and a second gripping element movable relative to the second arm in the open position, the second gripping element biased toward the second arm to capture a second leaflet of the heart valve therebetween. The first gripping element is biased toward the first arm, and the second gripping element is biased toward the second arm. The fixation device further includes a covering disposed on each of the first gripping element and the second gripping element.