Soft tissue repair device and associated methods

Abstract

A fibrous tissue repair device includes first and second tubular anchors having corresponding longitudinal passages. The tissue repair device includes corresponding first and second inserters. Each inserter has a shaft with a distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the corresponding tubular anchor. A flexible strand couples the first and second anchors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tissue repair device comprising:
 a handle;   a first inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a second inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a first slider configured to move the first inserter relative to the handle; and   a second slider configured to move the second inserter relative to the handle, wherein the first slider is configured to selectively move the first inserter from a first retracted position to a first extended position, and wherein the second slider is configured to selectively move the second inserter from a second retracted position to a second extended position.   
     
     
         2 . The repair device of  claim 1 , wherein the first inserter is configured to carry a first anchor at a first distal end of the first inserter and the second inserter is configured to carry a second anchor at a second distal end of the second inserter. 
     
     
         3 . The repair device of  claim 2 , wherein the first distal end defines a first groove transversely extending relative to a first longitudinal axis of the first inserter and the second distal end defines a second groove transversely extending relative to a second longitudinal axis of the second inserter, wherein the first anchor is loaded externally on the first distal end and draped over the first groove and wherein the second anchor is loaded externally on the second distal end and draped over the second groove. 
     
     
         4 . The repair device of  claim 3 , further comprising a first flexible anchor loaded on the first groove and a second flexible anchor loaded on the second groove, wherein the first and second flexible anchors are coupled together with a flexible strand formed as an adjustable knotless loop. 
     
     
         5 . The repair device of  claim 1 , further comprising a slider control mechanism configured to prioritize separate deployment of the first inserter and the second inserter. 
     
     
         6 . The repair device of  claim 5 , wherein the slider control mechanism is configured to enable deployment of the first inserter from the first retracted position to the first extended position before enabling retraction of the first inserter from the first extended position to the first retracted position and a subsequent deployment of the second inserter from the second retracted position to the second extended position. 
     
     
         7 . The repair device of  claim 5 , wherein the slider control mechanism is retained within the handle and includes a pivotable disc and first and second tracks defined within the handle. 
     
     
         8 . The repair device of  claim 7 , wherein the handle further defines a third track and the disc includes a first post extending from a first surface of the disc and configured to be received in the first track and a second post extending from the first surface of the disc and configured to be received in the second track and a third post extending from an opposed second surface of the disc and configured to be received in the third track to prioritize separate deployment of the first and second inserters. 
     
     
         9 . The repair device of  claim 1 , wherein the first slider extends from a first surface of the handle and the second slider extends from a second opposite surface of the handle. 
     
     
         10 . A tissue repair device comprising:
 a handle;   a first inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a second inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a first slider configured to move the first inserter;   a second slider configured to move the second inserter; and   a slider control mechanism configured to prioritize separate deployment of the first inserter relative to the second inserter.   
     
     
         11 . The repair device of  claim 10 , wherein the first inserter defines a first transverse groove extending transverse to a first longitudinal axis of the first inserter and the second inserter defines a second transverse groove extending transverse to a second longitudinal axis of the second inserter, wherein the first groove is configured to carry a first flexible anchor and the second groove is configured to carry a second flexible anchor. 
     
     
         12 . The repair device of  claim 11 , further comprising a first flexible anchor loaded on the first groove and a second flexible anchor loaded on the second groove where the first and second flexible anchors are coupled together with a flexible strand formed as an adjustable knotless loop 
     
     
         13 . The repair device of  claim 10 , wherein the slider control mechanism is configured to enable a forward deployment motion of the first inserter before enabling a retraction motion of the first inserter and a subsequent forward deployment motion of the second inserter. 
     
     
         14 . The repair device of  claim 13 , wherein the slider control mechanism includes a disc having a first side and a second side where the first side includes a first post and a second post and the second side includes a third post, the handle defining a first track, a second track and a third track, each track configured to receive the first, second and third post, respectively, to prioritize separate deployment of the first inserter relative to the second inserter. 
     
     
         15 . The repair device of  claim 10 , wherein the first slider extends from a first surface of the handle and movable thereto and the second slider extends from a second opposite surface of the handle and movable thereto. 
     
     
         16 . A tissue repair device comprising:
 a handle;   a first inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a second inserter extending from and movable relative to the handle;   a first anchor carried on a first distal end of the first inserter;   a second anchor carried on a second distal end of the second inserter; and   a flexible strand carrying the first and second anchors and configured as a self-locking adjustable loop, wherein the first inserter and the second inserter are configured to deploy the first and second anchors and the self-locking adjustable loop is configured to be self-locked by pulling on an end of the flexible strand.   
     
     
         17 . The repair device of  claim 16  further comprising:
 a first slider configured to move the first inserter and positioned on a first side of the handle; and 
 a second slider configured to move the second inserter and positioned on a second opposite side of the handle. 
 
     
     
         18 . The repair device of  claim 16 , further comprising a slider control mechanism configured to prioritize separate deployment of the first inserter relative to the second inserter. 
     
     
         19 . The repair device of  claim 16 , wherein a first distal end of the first inserter defines a first transverse groove and the second distal end of the second inserter defines a second transverse groove, the first and second transverse grooves configured to externally retain the first and second anchors, respectively, where the first and second anchors are flexible anchors. 
     
     
         20 . The repair device of  claim 16 , wherein the flexible strand extends into an internal passage of the flexible strand at a first aperture extends along the internal passage of the flexible strand and out of the flexible strand at a second aperture in the flexible strand to form an adjustment portion to form the self-locking adjustable loop.