Apparatus for coupling a prosthetic chorda to an atrioventricular valve leaflet, the apparatus comprising: a neochorda delivery system comprising a steerable and pushable catheter housing a neochorda attached to a neochorda puncture needle, the catheter operable to push the puncture needle to puncture and thread the neochorda through a papillary muscle of a ventricle; a retriever system comprising a catheter housing a grabber operable to capture the neochorda puncture needle after being threaded through the papillary muscle and withdraw the neochorda puncture needle and neochorda from the ventricle; and a tissue clamping system comprising a catheter housing distal and proximal tissue clamps deployable to clamp a region of an atrioventricular valve between them and hold the region so that it may be punctured by the puncture needle to deliver the neochorda through the leaflet and to the papillary muscle.

A sutureless implant for replacing damaged natural chordae tendineae of a human or possibly animal heart, the implant including a distal implant part, a proximal implant part, and an artificial chord. The distal implant part is configured to fit in a lumen of an implant delivery device and includes a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the distal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of anchoring the distal implant part in human muscle tissue. The proximal implant part is configured to fit in the lumen of the implant delivery device and comprises a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the proximal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of bearing on a tissue portion of leaflet tissue. The distal implant part and the proximal implant part are connected by the chord.

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatuses, systems, and methods that include tissue anchors such as for chordae tendineae repair.

A tissue anchor and an anchor delivery and deployment system. The tissue anchor is shiftable between a delivery configuration when housed in anchor garage of the anchor delivery and deployment system, and a deployment configuration when deployed outside the anchor garage. The anchor has a plurality of talons which may be formed from a laser cut tube. The talons may taper, such as widthwise.

Methods and apparatus for creating a seam like array of suture stitches joined in series by sequential anchors in bone. The anchors are transtendon implants positioned through the tendon in the original tendon footprint and each array includes four or more anchors. The seam like array extends across at least a portion of the tendon. The stitches can extend generally perpendicular to the direction of the tendon orientation. In rotator cuff repair, the anchors are positioned in the original footprints of the infraspinatus and/or supraspinatus tendons and the seam like array extends in an anterior to posterior direction across the particular tendons torn and repaired. The entire array of anchors can be positioned in the medial half of the original footprints.

A sutureless implant for replacing damaged natural chordae tedineae of a human or possibly animal heart, the implant including a distal implant part, a proximal implant part, and an artificial chord. The distal implant part is configured to fit in a lumen of an implant delivery device and includes a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the distal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of anchoring the distal implant part in human muscle tissue. The proximal implant part is configured to fit in the lumen of the implant delivery device and comprises a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the proximal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of bearing on a tissue portion of leaflet tissue. The distal implant part and the proximal implant part are connected by the chord.

The invention relates in some aspects to a device for use in anchoring an implant, including anchors, sutures, implants, clips, tools, lassos, and methods of anchoring among other methods. Anchors as disclosed herein could be utilized to secure a coaptation assistance device, an annuloplasty ring, an artificial valve, cardiac patch, sensor, pacemaker, or other implants. The implant could be a mitral valve ring or artificial mitral valve in some embodiments.

An implantable device may be provided with first and second bone anchors, at least one suture and a force-generating component. In some embodiments, the first bone anchor is configured to anchor in or on a first bone segment and the second bone anchor is configured to anchor in or on a second bone segment. The at least one suture may interconnect the first bone anchor and the second bone anchor. The force-generating component may be connected to the at least one suture and configured to impart a force thereto. The first bone anchor, the second bone anchor, the at least one suture and the force-generating component may be configured to cooperate together to draw the first bone segment and the second bone segment toward one another with a force in a predetermined range. Methods of device construction and use are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to a system for radial cinching of an opening in an internal biological structure. The system includes, a tensioning tube, a plurality of sutures disposed within the tensioning tube, a plurality of delivery tubes. Each delivery tube is configured to receive a distal end of one of the plurality of sutures. The plurality of delivery tubes are further configured to deploy the distal ends of the plurality of sutures proximate a periphery of the opening. Upon deployment of the sutures proximate the periphery of the opening, one or more of the plurality of sutures are cinched while movement of portions of the plurality of sutures are constrained by the tensioning tube causes radial cinching of the periphery to close the opening.

A connection tool for a tongue manipulation system comprising: a connector configured to be coupled to a tongue advancer tether (801); a connection tool body (1313) and separable removal cannula part (1315) configured to follow a tongue advancer tether line (801) in order to enable a removal sleeve (1335) located at least partially within the separable removal cannula part (1315) to contact the tongue advancer (305), the separable removal cannula part (1315) being configured to be separated from the connection tool body (1313) following the removal sleeve (1335) contacting the tongue advancer (305) and to expose a proximal end of the removal sleeve (1335).