Surgical device for connecting soft tissue

Abstract

Provided is a surgical instrument including an external tube ( 2 ) and two elongated members ( 4 ) positioned in the tube ( 2 ), each of which includes a distal end ( 10 a ) for capturing one of the two tissue zones (M 1, M 2 ) to be attached. The instrument ( 1 ) may further include a catching member ( 22, 25 ) for each tissue (M 1, M 2 ) to be attached; a rod ( 15, 16 ) linked to each catching member ( 22, 25 ) enabling tension to move axially, the rod ( 15, 16 ) being separable from said catching member ( 22, 25 ) when a tension is exerted on it beyond a certain threshold; and a member ( 17 a ) forming a stop for locking axially each catching member ( 22, 25 ) during the tensioning.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for percutaneously attaching valve leaflets, said method comprising:
 percutaneously introducing a device through a patient's vasculature into a heart chamber;   capturing a first valve leaflet by applying a vacuum to the device;   capturing a second valve leaflet by applying a vacuum to the device, wherein the second valve leaflet is captured separately from the first valve leaflet;   drawing the first and second captured leaflets together; and   attaching the first valve leaflet to the second valve leaflet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the valve leaflets comprise mitral valve leaflets. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein percutaneously introducing the device comprises advancing the device across the intra-atrial septum into the left atrium. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein capturing the first valve leaflet or the second valve leaflet comprises advancing an elongate member from the device and securing the first valve leaflet or the second valve leaflet thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein drawing the first and second captured leaflets together comprises drawing a first elongate member and a second elongate member together, wherein the first elongate member and the second elongate member extend from the device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein drawing the first elongate member and the second elongate member together comprises advancing a sheath over the first and the second elongate members. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein attaching the first valve leaflet to the second valve leaflet comprises clipping the first valve leaflet to the second valve leaflet using a pair of clips. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein clipping the first valve leaflet to the second valve leaflet comprises advancing the pair of clips toward one another from the ventricular side and the atrial side with the first valve leaflet and the second valve leaflet therebetween to thereby capture the first valve leaflet and the second valve leaflet between the pair of clips. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least one clip of the pair of clips comprises a pair of prongs, wherein advancing the pair of clips toward one another forces the pair of prongs of the at least one clip through the first valve leaflet and the second valve leaflet and into the other of the pair of clips. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detaching the pair of clips from the device.