Fastener apparatus for tissue and methods of deployment and manufacture

摘要

A device for connecting two tubular vessels together in a side-by-side or tangential manner is disclosed. The device has an annulus and at least one series of fingers connected to and extending away from the annulus. In the preferred embodiment there are two sets of fingers connected to and extending away from the annulus in opposite directions. Each finger is preferably biased into an arcuate shape. In use, a deployment apparatus is used to constrain the fingers of the device to be in a relatively planar configuration. The deployment apparatus containing the device is placed between and in contact with the two tubular vessels so that one tubular vessel is above the device and one tubular vessel is below the device and so that the fingers of the device come into contact with the tissue of the vessels. As the fingers penetrate the vessels the constraint on the fingers is removed so that the fingers can assume their biased arcuate shape. In this way, the fingers penetrate and grasp the tissue of the vessels so that the device grasps the vessels and pulls the vessels toward each other.

主权项

1. An apparatus for securing a tubular duct having a wall to a vessel having a wall in a side by side configuration, comprising:
a circumferentially continuous annulus formed in a plane, the annulus having a longitudinal axis extending along the plane and a perpendicular axis perpendicular to the plane; wherein the annulus has a bias imparted therein to provide said annulus with a biased first configuration and an unbiased second configuration; wherein the biased first configuration has opposite sides of the annulus across the longitudinal axis in close proximity to each other along the longitudinal axis to form an elongated, substantially closed slit and, wherein the unbiased second configuration has opposite sides of the annulus across the longitudinal axis spaced apart from each other; and wherein the annulus is automatically biased by the imparted bias therein to move from the biased first configuration toward the unbiased second configuration; a first set of fingers attached to and extending from the annulus in a first direction, the first set of fingers being biased by a bias imparted therein to automatically curl from a stressed first configuration toward a relaxed second configuration, the first set of fingers extending outwardly from the annulus in the direction of the perpendicular axis while in their first and second configurations; the first set of fingers being configured to penetrate and grasp the wall of either the tubular duct or vessel as they move from their biased first configuration toward their relaxed second configuration; and wherein the first set of fingers are configured in relatively planar fashion with one another along said perpendicular axis when in their biased first configuration and curl radially outwardly from said perpendicular axis automatically under the bias imparted in said first set of fingers toward their relaxed second configuration.