An apparatus and method is disclosed for securing tissue to a bone comprising a novel screw anchor for insertion into a bone by a novel rotational driver. The screw anchor and rotation driver enables the screw to be completely embedded into the bone while permitting a suture to be threaded through a transverse aperture in the screw. The rotation driver facilitates insertion and engagement of a capture with one of a series of protuberance formed along a length of a suture. In addition, the method is disclosed of forming the series of protuberance.

Methods and devices are disclosed for manipulating the tongue. An implant is positioned within at least a portion of the tongue and may be secured to other surrounding structures such as the mandible and/or hyoid bone. In general, the implant is manipulated to displace at least a portion of the posterior tongue in an anterior or lateral direction, or to alter the tissue tension or compliance of the tongue. Methods and devices for adjusting a glossopexy system are also disclosed. Adjusting a distance between two body-engaging structures can be performed without disengaging a tether from either of the body-engaging structures in some embodiments.

An implant configured to control travel of a leaflet of a heart valve, the implant comprising a first implant member, the first implant member having a first implant member first fastener, a first implant member second fastener, a tether connecting the first implant member first fastener and the first implant member second fastener and a first implant member connector slidably disposed on the tether; a second implant member, the second implant member having a second implant member connector and a second implant member anchor; wherein the first implant member connector and the second implant member connector are magnetically couplable, and wherein at least one of the first implant member connector and the second implant member connector comprises a permanent magnet.

A system, for use with a leaflet of a valve of a subject's heart, comprises a catheter, a cutting device, a helical needle, and a suture. The catheter is transluminally advanceable toward the heart. The cutting device is advanceable distally out of the catheter, and is adapted to cut through tissue of the leaflet to form cut tissue and cut edges at the cardiac valve. The helical needle defines a helical lumen, the helical needle configured to be advanced distally out of the catheter and to rotationally extend through, and secure together, two tissue segments of the leaflet. The suture extends through the helical lumen of the helical needle. The helical needle and the suture are configured to extend along the two tissue segments of the leaflet to suture the two tissue segments to each other. Other embodiments are also described.

The invention relates in some aspects to a device for use in the transcatheter treatment of mitral valve regurgitation, including steerable guidewires, implantable coaptation assistance devices, anchoring systems for attaching a ventricular projection of an implantable coaptation device, a kit, and methods of using an implantable coaptation assistance device among other methods.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for suturing tissue is provided that includes a body having a proximate end and a distal end. A suturing head is coupled to the distal end of the body, including a first set of curved needles, a second set of curved needles, and a plurality of sutures. A first end of a suture is coupled to one of the curved needles of the first set. A second end of the suture is coupled to one of the curved needles of the second set. The curved needles of the first set are oppositely oriented to the curved needles of the second set. The suturing head can be positioned between two substantially parallel sections of tissue. An actuator is coupled to the body to deploy the first and second sets of curved needles.

Various self-cinching suture anchors, self-cinching suture anchor systems, and methods of use are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a suture anchor is provided that includes an outer member and an inner member configured to be received within the outer member. The inner and outer members can define a gap that allows a suture to be movably disposed within the outer member, e.g., within the gap, when the inner member is disposed within the outer member. The inner member can be configured to be secured within the outer member by a knot of the suture having a diameter greater than a width of the gap so as to fix the inner member within the outer member, while still allowing uni-directional tensioning of the suture.

A medical device includes a surgical needle, an elongated suture, and an intervening segment. The elongated suture has a first end proximate to the needle and a second end located away from the needle. The elongated suture also includes a plurality of fibers defining a mesh wall between the first and second ends. A plurality of pores extend through the mesh wall, at least some which are in the macroporous size range of greater than 200 microns for facilitating tissue integration when introduced into a body. The intervening segment is disposed between and connected to either or both ends of the elongated suture and the needle. The intervening segment includes one or more fibers of the plurality of fibers and has a cross-sectional dimension smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of the mesh wall such that the intervening segment facilitates indirect attachment of the elongated macroporous mesh suture to the needle.

Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described.

Various surgical tissue anchor retention mechanisms, systems and methods are provided. The mechanisms, systems and methods can include a delivery tool or needle having a flex joint, a snap-fit, a cam and follower, a rotating tip, an expandable lock, a coil, an inverted collet, a tab, a buckling tube, an inflation element or like anchor retention or securement features.