US 12,274,428 B2
Tissue engagement devices, systems, and methods
Jay Muse, Salt Lake City, UT (US); and Kevin Jerry Cook, Kaysville, UT (US)
Assigned to Circa Scientific, Inc., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by CIRCA SCIENTIFIC, INC., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Apr. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/136,284.
Application 18/136,284 is a continuation of application No. 16/841,434, filed on Apr. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,627,951.
Application 16/841,434 is a continuation of application No. 15/361,312, filed on Nov. 25, 2016, granted, now 10,631,840, issued on Apr. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/260,212, filed on Nov. 25, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0248343 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/02 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0218 (2013.01); A61B 17/3478 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00243 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00247 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00349 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3488 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
advancing a first arm and a second arm of a tissue engagement device through a lumen, the first arm and the second arm comprising:
a first engaging member, and
a second engaging member;
engaging a pericardium of a patient with the first and second engaging members of the first and second arms, wherein both the first and second engaging members and the first and second arms cross each other at a position that is distal to an actuation member of the tissue engagement device during said engaging:
tensioning a portion of the pericardium by advancing the actuation member relative to both the first and second engaging members and the first and second arms distally beyond the position at which both the first and second engaging members and the first and second arms crossed each other during said engaging, thereby uncrossing both the first and second engaging members and the first and second arms, separating the first and second engaging members from each other while the first and second engaging members continue to engage the pericardium; and
after said tensioning, advancing an access device through the actuation member and through the tensioned portion of the pericardium to introduce the access device into a pericardial space of the patient.