Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
An apparatus comprising an anchor which is at least to be partially received in body tissue, a suture which extends through a passage in said anchor, and an inserter which is operable to insert said anchor into body tissue with said suture extending through the passage in said anchor, said inserter including a tubular outer member having a passage in which said anchor is received, and an inner member which is received in the passage in said tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages a trailing end portion of the anchor during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, said tubular outer member including surface means for holding said anchor against rotation about a longitudinal central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member during movement of the anchor in said inserter.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
136 words
An apparatus comprising an anchor which is at least to be partially received in body tissue, a suture which extends through a passage in said anchor, and an inserter which is operable to insert said anchor into body tissue with said suture extending through the passage in said anchor, said inserter including a tubular outer member having a passage in which said anchor is received, and an inner member which is received in the passage in said tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages a trailing end portion of the anchor during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, said tubular outer member including surface means for holding said anchor against rotation about a longitudinal central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member during movement of the anchor in said inserter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said anchor has a corner portion, said surface means includes a surface which engages said corner portion of said anchor to hold said anchor against rotation about the longitudinal central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said anchor has a flat side surface which extends between opposite ends of said anchor, said surface means including a surface which engages said flat side surface on said anchor to hold said anchor against rotation about the central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface means includes a groove which extends longitudinally along the passage in said tubular outer member and in which a portion of said anchor is received to hold said anchor against rotation about the central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface means includes a longitudinally extending rib which projects inward from an arcuate inner side surface of the passage in said tubular outer member and engages said anchor to hold said anchor against rotation about the central axis of the passage in said tubular outer member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said inner member includes a surface means defining a slot which extends axially along said inner member and into which said rib extends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said inner member has a tubular construction and said slot opens into a passage within said inner member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface means includes a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed in said tubular outer member and engaged by portions of said anchor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
102 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner member includes a first end surface area which is effective to apply force against a first location on an end surface of said anchor and a second end surface area which is effective to apply force against a second location on the end surface of said anchor, said first location on the end surface of said anchor being spaced from said second location on the end surface of said anchor, said first end surface area on said inner member being spaced from said second end surface area on said inner member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner and outer members are movable relative to each other during insertion of the anchor into body tissue.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface means is fixedly connected with said tubular outer member, said anchor having an outer side surface area which is slidable along said surface means during movement of the anchor in said inserter.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
164 words
An apparatus for use in inserting an anchor into body tissue, said apparatus comprising a tubular outer member having a passage in which the anchor is received, said tubular outer member having an end portion which engages body tissue during insertion of the anchor into the body tissue, said tubular outer member having surface means for defining a groove which extends along the passage to the end portion of said tubular outer member and is slidably engagable by a portion of the anchor to retain the anchor against rotation relative to said tubular outer member during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, and an inner member which is received in the passage in the tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages the anchor, said inner member and said tubular outer member being movable relative to each other during insertion of the anchor into body tissue to effect sliding movement between said groove in said tubular outer member and the anchor.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
164 words
An apparatus for use in inserting an anchor into body tissue, said apparatus comprising a tubular outer member having a passage in which the anchor is received, said tubular outer member having an end portion which engages body tissue during insertion of the anchor into the body tissue, said tubular outer member having surface means for defining a groove which extends along the passage to the end portion of said tubular outer member and is slidably engagable by a portion of the anchor to retain the anchor against rotation relative to said tubular outer member during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, and an inner member which is received in the passage in the tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages the anchor, said inner member and said tubular outer member being movable relative to each other during insertion of the anchor into body tissue to effect sliding movement between said groove in said tubular outer member and the anchor.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
146 words
An apparatus for use in inserting an anchor into body tissue, said apparatus comprising a tubular outer member having a passage in which the anchor is received, said tubular outer member having surface means for defining a rib which projects into and extends along the passage to the end portion of said tubular outer member and is slidably engagable by a portion of the anchor to retain the anchor against rotation relative to said tubular outer member during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, and an inner member which is received in the passage in the tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages the anchor, said inner member and said tubular outer member being movable relative to each other during insertion of the anchor into body tissue to effect sliding movement between said rib in said tubular outer member and the anchor.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
146 words
An apparatus for use in inserting an anchor into body tissue, said apparatus comprising a tubular outer member having a passage in which the anchor is received, said tubular outer member having surface means for defining a rib which projects into and extends along the passage to the end portion of said tubular outer member and is slidably engagable by a portion of the anchor to retain the anchor against rotation relative to said tubular outer member during insertion of the anchor into body tissue, and an inner member which is received in the passage in the tubular outer member and has an end portion which engages the anchor, said inner member and said tubular outer member being movable relative to each other during insertion of the anchor into body tissue to effect sliding movement between said rib in said tubular outer member and the anchor.