Surgical instrument and method for treating female urinary incontinence

• US 20020077526A1
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kammerer, Gene W., Luscombe, Brian, Landgrebe, Susanne, Hoepffner, Hans-Jochen
• Granted Patent: US 7,121,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/307 for the urinary organs, e.g. urethroscopes, cystoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06004 Means for attaching suture to needle tipping A61B17/06195; connecting wire to other metallic objects B21F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06009 having additional means for releasably clamping the suture to the needle, e.g. actuating rod slideable within the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06028 by means of a cylindrical longitudinal blind bore machined at the suture-receiving end of the needle, e.g. opposite to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06047 located at the middle of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06085 having a blunt tip blunt dissectors A61B2017/320044
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06104 interconnected at their distal ends, e.g. two hollow needles forming a loop for passing a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 : Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 : Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

Described is a surgical instrument and method for treating female urinary stress incontinence. The instrument includes a first curved needle-like element defining in part a curved shaft having a distal end and a proximal, a mesh for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female to provide support to the urethra; a second curved needle element having a proximal end and a distal end, and a coupler for simultaneous attachment to the distal end of the first needle and the distal end of the second needle.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence comprising:

a) a mesh for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female to provide support to the urethra;

b) a first curved needle element defining in part a curved shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end having means for attaching to the mesh;

c) a second curved needle element having a proximal end and a distal end; and

d) coupling means for simultaneous attachment to the distal end of the first needle and the distal end of the second needle.

2. A surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence comprising:

a) a mesh for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female to provide support to the urethra and comprising a first coupling means at both ends of the mesh; and

b) a curved needle element defining in part a curved shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end having second coupling means for attaching to the first coupling means.