Abstract: A suture cutter assembly has a cutter blade axially reciprocable relative to a tube having at least one opening. An offset is in the tube or the cutter blade for capturing of the severed portion of the suture as the blade is advanced within the tube. A combined suture, bead, and knot cutter assembly includes a recess formed in a shaft which is axially reciprocable within a tube, which receives a suture enlargement, thereby placing the suture or suture enlargement to be cut by advancing the shaft. A suture may be passed through a distal opening in a tube and an aperture formed in the sidewall of the tube, permitting the pushing of a knot in the suture by the distal edge of the tube.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for repairing damaged tendons or ligaments. Various repair apparatus include an elongate tensile member and a pair of anchor assemblies connected for movement along the tensile member on either side of a repair site, such as a tear or laceration. The anchor assemblies or structures may take many forms, and may include barbed, helical, and crimp-type anchors. In the preferred embodiments, at least one anchor structure is movable along the elongate tensile member to assist with adjusting a tendon segment to an appropriate repair position and the anchor structure or structures are then lockable onto the elongate tensile member to assist with affixing the tendon at the repair position. Tendon and/or ligament-to-bone repair apparatus and methods employ similar concepts.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided an anastomosis device for attaching a first hollow vessel to a second hollow vessel. The device includes a head assembly for holding the first and second hollow vessels adjacent to each other. The head assembly having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis therebetween. The device further includes a needle guide disposed longitudinally along the head assembly adjacent to the vessels, and a helical needle, having a suture attached to a distal end thereof, disposed within the head assembly at its proximal end. The device also includes a needle driver coupled to the head for driving the needle distally along the needle guides and through the first and second hollow vessels. The device incorporates a needle receiver removably attached to the distal end of the head distal to the needle guide. The needle receiver is for capturing the helical needle after it has passed through the needle guide.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a surgical device for presenting a first hollow organ and a second hollow organ for creation a passageway therebetween. The surgical device includes a member, an upper pin for entering a first hollow organ, and a lower pin for entering a the second hollow organ, the pins having proximal ends attached to the member, distal ends extending therefrom and longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The device further includes a first actuator assembly coupled to the member for laterally moving the distal and proximal ends of the lower pin relative to the first member, and a second actuator coupled to the member for moving the distal ends of the upper and lower pins adjacent to one another so as to move the hollow organs close together.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a needle and suture assembly for attaching one piece of tissue to another piece of tissue. The assembly includes a helical needle having proximal and distal ends, a strain relief element having a greater flexibility than a flexibility of the needle attached to the proximal end of the needle, and a suture attached to the strain relief element.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for repairing damaged tendons or ligaments. Various repair apparatus include an elongate tensile member and a pair of anchor structures connected for movement along the tensile member on either side of a repair site, such as a tear or laceration. The anchor structures may take many forms, and may include barbed, helical, and crimp-type anchors. In the preferred embodiments, at least one anchor structure is movable along the elongate tensile member to assist with adjusting a tendon segment to an appropriate repair position and the anchor structure or structures are then lockable onto the elongate tensile member to assist with affixing the tendon at the repair position. The invention further provides tendon-to-bone repair apparatus and methods employing similar concepts. Tendon retrieval devices of the invention include helical members for rotating into a tendon end and subsequently moving the tendon to an appropriate operating position.

Abstract: An Internet-based database management system has a web server with a central database that can be modified in both a real-time mode and a non-real time mode. Regarding the real-time mode, the web server includes a web site that provides access to the central database, and a user of the system can use a web browser on their computer, which is remote from the web server, to access the central database via the Internet and the web site. Regarding the nonreal-time mode, the remote computer includes a remote database that can be modified in real-time while the remote computer is not connected to the Internet, and thereafter information is passed between the central database and the remote database via the Internet. The information passed between the central database and the remote database is streamed in both directions.