Suture with toggle and delivery system

Abstract

The self securing suture includes a suture having at least one terminal end and a toggle, formed of suture material, at the suture's terminal end. In one embodiment, the suture toggle is a bar. In another embodiment the suture is a wire and the toggle is a wire element toggle. The wire element toggle is a double strand segment or an open loop segment. The suture delivery system includes a slotted needle configured such that a protruding tab or leg of the toggle bar fits within slot of the needle. For wire sutures, the open loop wire element toggle fits within the slotted needle. In another embodiment, a depending wire tip, from the wire element toggle, fits within the slot in the needle. In either situation, after the needle pierces the bodily structure, tissue or organ, the tab, leg, depending wire tip or open loop wire segment coacts with the inboard portion of the bodily structure, tissue or organ, and, as the delivery needle is withdrawn, the toggle at the terminal end of the suture remains in the bodily structure, tissue or organ. The toggle is then fully deployed being generally normally disposed (perpendicular) to the length or axial center line of the suture. When the suture has two suture toggles, one at each terminal end of a suture thread or suture wire body, the physician can easily deploy the suture toggles on either side of an arterial puncture site (for example), tie off the suture thread or suture wire body and thereby close the puncture.