STERNAL CLOSURE DEVICE
First Claim
1. A device to facilitate post-operative sternal closure, using a wire suture, characterised in that the device comprises spaced guides through the respective ones of which the opposite end regions of the wire may be threaded, and a cross-piece so positioned with respect to said guides that, in use, the opposite end regions of the wire emerging from the guides may be folded over and supported by the cross-piece.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device to facilitate post-operative sternal closure by twisting the opposite end regions of the suture wire together comprises spaced guides in the form of limbs (1 and 2) with passageways (3 and 4) through which the proximal wire ends (12) and (13) may be fed and a cross-piece (7) transversely positioned with respect to said guides whereby, in use, the wire end regions may be bent across and supported by the cross-piece. The cross-piece includes a discontinuity (8) with a spacing adapted to be less than the thickness of wire. As the tension in the wire increases during the course of the twisting motion a point will be reached when the wire end regions forcefully deform the cross-piece (7) enabling the wires to pass through the discontinuity. Thus an indication is given when a maximum tension is reached.
200 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A device to facilitate post-operative sternal closure, using a wire suture, characterised in that the device comprises spaced guides through the respective ones of which the opposite end regions of the wire may be threaded, and a cross-piece so positioned with respect to said guides that, in use, the opposite end regions of the wire emerging from the guides may be folded over and supported by the cross-piece.
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8. A surgical device as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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9. A method of post-operative sternal closure substantially as described herein.
Specification