Claims for Patent: 6,277,130

Summary for Patent: 6,277,130

Title:	Electrical discharge surgical fastener for meniscal repairs
Abstract:	A surgical fastener system that utilizes a very intense electrical discharge in a captured fluid volume to cause fluid vaporization thereby to drive a fastener body distally from an open-ended channel in an introducer member. More in particular, the fastener system comprises proximal and distal fastener components that are carried in a channel in an introducer. The proximal fastener component is a fluid sealed in a volume proximal to the head of a fastener body. The distal component of the fastener system is the fastener body itself, which typically defines a head portion and extending leg portion. The system further provides a high voltage electrical source coupled to 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrode terminations that are in substantial contact with the captured fluid volume. Upon actuation of a switch mechanism, an electrical discharge is induced between the 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrodes which causes an intense thermal effect within the captured fluid which generates a vapor bubble therein. The explosive expansion pressures caused by such bubble formation thereby imparts driving forces against the fastener body to drive the fastener outwardly into or through the targeted structure. The driving force applied to the fastener head can be selected by controlling the power level of the electrical discharge.
Inventor(s):	Shadduck; John H. (Tiburon, CA)
Assignee:
Application Number:	09/461,501
Patent Claims:	1. A surgical fastener for penetrating into or through anatomic structures, comprising: a fastener body having a proximal head portion and a distal penetrating leg portion; and a captured fluid volume proximal to said head portion of the fastener body. 2. The surgical fastener of claim 1 further comprising 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd conductive electrodes proximate to the captured fluid volume. 3. The surgical fastener of claim 2 further comprising a remote electrical source operatively coupled to the 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrodes. 4. The surgical fastener of claim 3 wherein the electrical source is capable of selectively delivering from about 50 volts to 10,000 volts to the 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrodes. 5. The surgical fastener of claim 3 further comprising a controller for selecting a particular power level to be delivered to the 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrodes. 6. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein said proximal head portion is at least partly of bioabsorbable material. 7. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein said distal penetrating portion is at least partly of bioabsorbable material. 8. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein the captured fluid volume and the fastener body are carried in an elongate channel of an elongate member. 9. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein the captured fluid volume is of sterile water. 10. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein the captured fluid volume is selected from the class of liquids, gels and gases. 11. The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein the distal penetrating portion comprises at least one sharp-tipped leg. 12. The surgical fastener of claim 8 wherein the elongate member is of transparent material. 13. A method of driving a surgical fastener into or through targeted anatomic structures, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a fastener system comprising a proximal captured fluid volume component and distal fastener body component, both components carried in an axial introducer channel having an open distal termination; (b) positioning the open distal termination of the introducer proximate to a targeted body structure; and (c) causing a high intensity electrical discharge between 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd electrodes and across or within the captured fluid volume to causes explosive vaporization of at least a portion of the captured fluid volume thereby applying axial forces on the fastener body driving the body outward from the introducer channel and into or through the targeted structure. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fastener body in step (a) carries a suture. 15. A surgical fastener for penetrating into or through a targeted anatomic structure, comprising: a proximal fastener portion and a distal fastener portion that extend along a longitudinal axis and define an interface therebetween; wherein said proximal and distal fastener portions are detachably mated to one another generally about said interface; a fluid-filled chamber carried within said proximal fastener portion; and at least one longitudinally-extending penetrating leg carried by said distal fastener portion. 16. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the interface is generally transverse to said longitudinal axis. 17. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the distal fastener portion has a proximal head coupled to the at least one longitudinally-extending leg and said interface is generally at the head of the distal fastener portion. 18. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the fluid-filled chamber has proximal and distal chamber ends, and the distal chamber end is proximate to the head of said distal fastener portion. 19. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the fluid-filled chamber is defined within thin walls of the proximal fastener portion. 20. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the thin walls of the proximal fastener portion are a friable composition. 21. The fastener system of claim 15 wherein the thin walls of the proximal fastener portion are of a bioabsorbable composition.

Details for Patent 6,277,130

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.	ZOSTAVAX	zoster vaccine live	For Injection	125123	05/25/2006		2039-09-23