Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of securing a catheter to tissue at a fixation site comprising the steps of: providing an anchor comprising: a tube having an outer surface, a first end and a second end and a channel extending through the tube from the first end to the second end, the tube having a slot that extends from the outer surface entirely through the tube to the channel, the slot having side edges opposed to each other; a pair of wings extending from the tube on opposite sides of the slot, the pair of wings separated from each other by an angle, the wings and the slot cooperating so that the opposed side edges of the slot just come together as the wings are brought into contact with each other, each of the pair of wings including opposed sidewalls, each pair of opposed sidewalls having a pair of opposed suture indents in the sidewalls, each of the wings having a suture eyelet; placing the catheter in the channel; placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other; placing a suture through the suture eyelets and tissue at the site of fixation to fasten the anchor to the tissue.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of securing a catheter to tissue at a fixation site comprising the steps of: providing an anchor comprising: a tube having an outer surface, a first end and a second end and a channel extending through the tube from the first end to the second end, the tube having a slot that extends from the outer surface entirely through the tube to the channel, the slot having side edges opposed to each other; a pair of wings extending from the tube on opposite sides of the slot, the pair of wings separated from each other by an angle, the wings and the slot cooperating so that the opposed side edges of the slot just come together as the wings are brought into contact with each other, each of the pair of wings including opposed sidewalls, each pair of opposed sidewalls having a pair of opposed suture indents in the sidewalls, each of the wings having a suture eyelet; placing the catheter in the channel; placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other; placing a suture through the suture eyelets and tissue at the site of fixation to fasten the anchor to the tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method as in claim 1 in which the step of placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other is preceded by and the method further includes the step of manually moving the wings from the position of separation of the wings by the angle to the position of the wings being in contact with each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the step of placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other further includes pulling the knot so that the side edges are substantially free of compression together.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the step of placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other further includes pulling the knot so that the tube is substantially free of hoop stresses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as in claim 3 in which the step of placing a suture around the suture indents and pulling a knot in the suture so that the wings lie flat against each other further includes pulling the knot so that the tube is substantially free of hoop stresses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method as in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the step of providing an anchor includes providing the anchor further with the tube having an inner surface, and the method being a method of acting on a catheter having an outer surface, the steps of the method further including bringing the wings together with the inner surface of the tube applying compressive normal forces to the outer surface of the catheter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as in claim 3 in which the step of providing an anchor includes providing the anchor further with the tube having an inner surface, and the method being a method acting on a catheter having an outer surface, the steps of the method further including bringing the wings together with the inner surface of the tube applying compressive normal forces to the outer surface of the catheter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method as in claim 5 in which the step of providing an anchor includes providing the anchor further with the tube having an inner surface, and the method being a method of acting on a catheter having an outer surface, the steps of the method further including bringing the wings together with the inner surface of the tube applying compressive normal forces to the outer surface of the catheter.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
28 words
A method as in claims 1 or 2 in which the steps of the method result in the catheter being held in a fixed relationship to the anchor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 3 in which the steps of the method result in the catheter being held in a fixed relationship to the anchor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 5 in which the steps of the method result in the catheter being held in a fixed relationship to the anchor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 8 in which the steps of the method result in the catheter being held in a fixed relationship to the anchor.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
46 words
A method as in claims 1 or 2 in which the step of the method of providing an anchor includes providing an anchor with a slit through the tube intersecting the slot and the step of placing the catheter in the channel includes opening the slit.