Expandable clip for tissue repair

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for repairing openings such as septal defects includes advancing a catheter to the site of the defect, grasping opposing edges of the defect, passing one or more suture lines through the opposing edges, tightening the suture lines, and deploying and expanding a fastener to secure the suture lines and close the defect. The fastener can include tissue-growth-inducing materials to encourage tissue growth onto or into the fastener and/or suture. The fastener includes a locking clip portion and a plug portion, which may be an expandable portion and/or tissue-growth-inducing portion.

1 . A system for percutaneously treating tissue at a treatment site within a patient's body, comprising:
 a closure device comprising a suture-locking portion and a plug portion, wherein the closure device is configured to be slidably positioned over at least one line of suture; and   at least one closure catheter configured to percutaneously deliver the closure device over the at least one line of suture and to the treatment site.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plug portion is expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the closure catheter is configured to expand the plug portion from the first diameter to the second diameter. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the plug portion is self-expanding, and the closure catheter is configured to forcibly restrain the plug in the first diameter, and the closure catheter is further configured to release the plug to expand to the second diameter. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the closure catheter is configured to lock the suture-locking portion to the at least one line of suture at a position adjacent the treatment site. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the closure catheter comprises an outer sheath, and the closure device is positioned within the outer sheath. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a suture catheter configured to deliver the at least one line of suture through tissue at the treatment site.   
   
   
       8 . An assembly for percutaneously treating tissue at a selected treatment site in a patient's body, comprising:
 at least one line of suture, the at least one line of suture having a first end secured at or adjacent the selected treatment site and a second end positioned outside the patient's body; and   a treatment device, the treatment device comprising a plug portion and suture-locking portion, wherein the treatment device includes a suture opening configured to receive the at least one line of suture, and the treatment device is configured to be percutaneously advanced over the at least one line of suture to the treatment site.   
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the plug portion is expandable from a first diameter to a second diameter. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the plug portion comprises a self-expanding structure. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the plug portion comprises a bioresorbable material. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the plug portion comprises a tissue-growth-inducing material. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the suture-locking portion and the plug portion are integral portions of a single piece treatment device. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one line of suture comprises tissue-growth-inducing material. 
   
   
       15 . A device for percutaneously locking suture adjacent a treatment site, the device comprising:
 a suture-locking portion, the suture-locking portion comprising a suture opening configured to slidingly receive at least one line of suture, and a lock configured to prevent suture from sliding through the suture opening; and   a plug portion secured to the suture-locking portion.   
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the plug portion is configured to expand from a first diameter to a second diameter. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the plug portion comprises a self-expanding structure. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the plug portion is configured to be positioned within a PFO. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the plug portion comprises tissue-growth-inducing material. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein plug portion comprises an expandable foam-like material. 
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the plug portion comprises a generally flattened surface configured to be placed against a first side of a septal defect.