Patent attributes
A suture anchor is provided which includes a hollow member having an outer surface defining an enclosure, the member having a longitudinal axis and a slot through a portion of the outer surface in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, the slot providing an opening into the enclosure. The suture anchor further includes a one-way valve positioned within the enclosure at the slot to allow entry of a suture through the slot into the enclosure and to prevent the exit of the suture from the enclosure. A device is provided for deploying the suture anchor. The deployment device includes an elongate hollow member having a suture anchor release zone positioned at the distal end, a launch bar having at least a portion positioned in the release zone. The launch bar is movable within the release zone between a resting position and a launching position and is operatively connected to an actuation member positioned proximally to the elongate member. The hollow elongate member defines a housing for receiving a plurality of suture anchors in tandem.
