Suture trimmer

• US 20030181926A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Inventors: Gross, T. Daniel, Ma, Dawn, Friedman, Mitchell B., Terwilliger, Marc, Marthaler, Maurice, Anderson, Steven C., Dana, Michael, Swett, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0467 Instruments for cutting sutures surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet

Abstract

A suture trimmer having a shaft with a groove formed in the side thereof, a cutting member movably disposed within the shaft, and a suture retainer slidably disposed within the shaft. The suture trimmer may be used to position knots formed within a suture loop prior to trimming the free end(s) of the suture loop, and to deliver an agent near the location where the suture is severed.

Claims

1. A suture trimmer, comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and an axis therebetween, the shaft having a groove formed in the side thereof, the groove in communication with an opening formed in the side of the shaft, the opening disposed proximal the distal end;

a cutting member slidably disposed within the shaft; and

a suture retainer movably disposed within the shaft.

2. The suture trimmer of claim 1, wherein the suture retainer is slidably disposed within the shaft.

3. The suture trimmer of claim 1, wherein the suture retainer is rotatably disposed within the shaft.

4. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member includes force absorbing features.

5. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member is moved distally relative to the shaft to sever the suture.

6. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member is moved proximally relative to the shaft to sever the suture.

7. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member is rotated relative to the shaft to sever the suture.

8. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the cutting member is movable toward an anvil portion of the suture retainer.

9. The suture trimmer according to claim 8, wherein the anvil portion of the suture retainer comprises a flat face of the suture retainer disposed perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.

10. The suture trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the cutting member is movable toward a fitting disposed in the distal end of the shaft.

11. The suture trimmer according to claim 10, wherein the fitting includes a flat face disposed perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.

12. The suture trimmer of claim 1, further comprising:

a cavity in the suture trimmer adapted to receive an agent therein, wherein the suture trimmer is adapted to dispense the agent near the distal end of the shaft.

13. The suture trimmer of claim 12, wherein the cavity comprises a lumen passing through the suture retainer.

14. The suture trimmer of claim 12, further comprising:

a handle at the proximal end of the shaft, wherein the cavity comprises an agent delivery tube passing through the handle.

15. The suture trimmer of claim 12, further comprising:

a handle at the proximal end of the shaft, wherein the cavity comprises a chamber in the handle.

16. The suture trimmer of claim 15, further comprising:

a removable cartridge received into the chamber in the suture trimmer, wherein an agent is stored within the cartridge.

17. The suture trimmer of claim 16, wherein the removable cartridge includes a moveable wall which is adapted to be pushed into the cartridge by the action of a plunger.

18. The suture trimmer of claim 12, further comprising:

a handle at the proximal end of the shaft, wherein the cavity comprises both a chamber in the handle and a lumen passing through the suture retainer, and wherein the proximal end of the lumen is in fluid communication with the chamber and a distal end of the lumen opens at the distal end of the suture retainer.

19. The suture trimmer of claim 18, further comprising:

a plunger positioned to be received into the chamber, wherein the plunger pushes the agent out of the chamber, through the lumen in the suture retainer and out of the distal end of the suture retainer when the plunger is advanced into the chamber.

20. The suture trimmer of claim 19, wherein both the cutting member and the plunger are activated simultaneously by the same actuator.

21. The suture trimmer of claim 12, wherein the handle of the suture trimmer is configured to receive a removable cartridge therein, and wherein movement of an actuator on the suture trimmer opens a flow path into the cartridge.

22. The suture trimmer of claim 12, wherein the handle of the suture trimmer is configured to receive a removable cartridge therein, and wherein movement of an actuator on the suture trimmer urges agent flow out of the cartridge.

23. The suture trimmer of claim 12, wherein the handle of the suture trimmer is configured to receive a removable cartridge therein, and wherein the suture trimmer is configured such that movement of an actuator on the suture trimmer decreases the cartridge volume while a slidable plug in the cartridge is held stationary by the handle.

24. A suture trimmer comprising:

a shaft having a groove formed in the side thereof, the groove in communication with an opening formed in the side of the shaft;

a cutting member movably disposed within the shaft;

a suture retainer movably disposed within the shaft; and

a cavity in the suture trimmer adapted to receive an agent therein, wherein the suture trimmer is adapted to dispense the agent.

25. The suture trimmer of claim 24, wherein the suture retainer is slidably disposed within the shaft.

26. The suture trimmer of claim 24, wherein the suture retainer is rotatably disposed within the shaft.

27. The suture trimmer according to claim 24, wherein the cutting member is moved distally relative to the shaft to sever the suture.

28. The suture trimmer according to claim 24, wherein the cutting member is moved proximally relative to the shaft to sever the suture.

29. The suture trimmer according to claim 24, wherein the distal end of the cutting member is movable toward an anvil portion of the suture retainer.

30. The suture trimmer according to claim 24, wherein the cutting member is movable toward a fitting disposed in the distal end of the shaft.

31. A method for trimming suture, comprising:

disposing a free end of suture through a groove and an opening formed in a distal end of a suture trimmer; and

actuating a cutting member within the suture trimmer, the cutting member configured to sever the suture disposed in the opening.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein disposing the free end of the suture through a groove and opening comprises moving the suture retainer in a proximal direction within the suture trimmer.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein disposing the free end of the suture through the groove and the opening in the in the distal end of the suture trimmer comprises rotating a suture retainer within the suture trimmer.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

cutting the suture between the distal end of the cutting member and an anvil portion of the suture retainer.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the suture trimmer further comprises a fitting at a distal end of the shaft, further comprising:

cutting the suture between the distal end of the cutting member and a proximal edge of the fitting.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

dispensing an agent at a location adjacent to where the suture is severed.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the agent is dispensed through a lumen passing through the suture retainer.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the agent is pre-stored in a chamber in a handle at the proximal end of the shaft, the chamber being in fluid communication with the lumen passing through the suture retainer.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the agent passes through an agent delivery tube in a handle at the proximal end of the shaft, the agent delivery tube being in fluid communication with the lumen passing through the suture retainer.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

injecting the agent into the chamber through a one-way check valve.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

injecting the agent into the chamber through a luer connector.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

advancing a plunger into the chamber to push the agent out of the chamber in the handle and through the lumen in the suture retainer and out of the distal end of the suture retainer.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the plunger and the cutting member are actuated simultaneously.

44. A method for performing a medical procedure within a tissue tract adjacent a patient'"'"'s femoral artery, the method comprising:

placing a loop of suture through a wall of the femoral artery;

cutting the suture at a location within the tissue tract; and

delivering an agent to the tissue tract in the vicinity of the loop of suture.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

providing a suture trimmer that performs the cutting of the suture and delivery of the agent.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the suture trimmer includes a shaft, a suture retainer movably disposed within the shaft, and a cutting member slidably disposed within the shaft.