Arthrex has been granted a patent for surgical tools and methods. The tools include a handle with rods and suture cleating channels on the outer surface. The method involves passing sutures through a graft, tensioning and cleating them within channels on the handle, securing the graft to soft tissue, and removing the sutures. GlobalData’s report on Arthrex gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Arthrex, cardiothoracic surgery instruments was a key innovation area identified from patents. Arthrex's grant share as of September 2023 was 62%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Surgical tool for tensioning and cleating sutures in grafts
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11771416B2) describes a method for grafting soft tissue using a surgical tool. The method involves several steps to secure the graft in place and ensure its proper positioning.
The method begins by passing a first suture through the graft and routing it through a first arm of the surgical tool. The suture is then tensioned and cleated within a channel formed in the outer surface of the handle of the tool. A second suture is passed through the graft and routed through a second arm of the tool, followed by tensioning and cleating within a second channel. Similarly, a third suture is passed through the graft and tensioned and cleated within a third channel.
Once the sutures are in place, the graft is folded using the surgical tool and inserted through a cannula or an open incision. The graft is then unfolded over the soft tissue and secured to it using at least one fastener. The first, second, and third sutures are uncleated after the graft is secured. The lateral side of the graft is anchored to bone using the third suture. Finally, the first and second sutures are removed from the graft.
The securing step involves inserting the fastener through the graft and the soft tissue. The fastener consists of first and second barbs connected by a bridge, with the barbs piercing through the soft tissue and the bridge resting over the graft to secure it in place.
The first and second sutures are passed through the graft using U-shaped attachments, and they can be removed by pulling the free ends of the sutures. The first suture is routed through a first lumen of the first arm, while the second suture is routed through a second lumen of the second arm. The third suture is cleated within the third channel, and a fourth suture is cleated within a fourth channel without passing through the first or second lumen.
The first arm of the surgical tool has an offset configuration, and the unfolding step involves either moving the tool from a folded to a spread position or rotating the first arm relative to the handle.
Overall, this patented method provides a detailed and systematic approach to grafting soft tissue, ensuring secure attachment and proper positioning of the graft.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
