Suture passing instrument

• US 20030233106A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthrex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arthrex Incorporated
• Inventors: Dreyfuss, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,585,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws

Abstract

A suture passing instrument having a body housing a shape-memory wire, a jaw, a hand mechanism for articulating the jaw relative to a tip, an actuator, and a pusher for advancing the wire through the body and the tip. By actuating the hand mechanism, a surgeon may seize and maintain tissue with the jaw and the tip and, using the pusher, push a suture through the tissue.

Claims

1. A suture passing instrument, comprising:

an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, the tubular member comprising at least one axial throughbore for receiving a wire therein;

a tip provided at the distal end of the tubular member and integral with the tubular member, the tip including at least one axial bore in communication with the axial throughbore of the tubular member for receiving the wire; and

a jaw pivotable with respect to the tip, the jaw comprising a distal transverse opening aligned with the axial bore of the tip for receiving the wire therein.

2. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the tip further comprises an arcuate slot for receiving suture.

3. The suture passing instrument of claim 2, wherein the arcuate slot is orthogonal to the at least one axial bore of the tip.

4. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises another axial throughbore for receiving an actuator.

5. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal transverse opening of the jaw is an open slot.

6. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal transverse opening of the jaw has a tear drop shape.

7. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, further comprising a pusher provided at the proximal end of the tubular member and comprising a pusher axial bore in communication with both the axial throughbore of the tubular member and the axial bore of the tip.

8. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the jaw further comprises a plurality of teeth for gripping tissue.

9. The suture passing instrument of claim 1, wherein the wire is superelastic.

10. The suture passing instrument of claim 9, wherein the wire is a nitinol wire.

11. A method of suturing tissue, comprising the steps of:

positioning a suture passing instrument in the proximity of a tissue to be sutured, the suture passing instrument being formed of an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, the tubular member comprising at least one axial throughbore for receiving a wire therein;

a tip provided at the distal end of the tubular member and integral with the tubular member, the tip including at least one axial bore in communication with the axial throughbore of the tubular member; and

a jaw pivotable with respect to the tip, the jaw being provided with a distal transverse opening aligned with the axial bore of the tip for receiving the shape-memory wire therein;

placing a strand of suture within an arcuate slot of the tip, the arcuate slot being substantially orthogonal to and intersecting the axial bore of the tip;

advancing the wire through the axial throughbore of the tubular member and the tip to capture the strand of suture within the arcuate slot and penetrate the tissue to be sutured with the captured shape-memory wire and the captured suture.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of retrieving the wire from the tip subsequent to the step of penetrating the tissue to be sutured.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of forming a suture loop in the tissue to be sutured and pulling the suture though the tissue to be sutured.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of advancing the wire through the axial throughbore of the tubular member and the tip further comprises actuating a pusher provided at the proximal end of the tubular member.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the wire is a nitinol wire.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the distal transverse opening of the jaw has an open slot configuration.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the distal transverse opening of the jaw has a tear drop configuration.