SUTURE PASSING APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A suturing apparatus for passing suture through a tissue body, comprising:
- a first jaw member disposed at a distal end of the suturing apparatus, the first jaw member having an aperture extending therethrough;
a needle having a suture engagement feature, the needle movable between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the distal end of the suturing apparatus, wherein in the extended position a portion of the needle extends through the aperture to carry a portion of suture through the aperture; and
a capture feature formed on the distal end of the suturing apparatus, the capture feature actuable to releasably grip and retain suture;
wherein the suturing apparatus is actuable, while remaining in an unmoved juxtaposition relative to the tissue body, to move the needle from the retracted position to the extended position to carry the portion of suture through the tissue body and the aperture, and to actuate the capture feature to firmly and releasably grip the portion of suture after the portion of suture has been carried by the needle through the tissue body and the aperture.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscopic surgical instrument for passing a suture through tissue includes a first jaw member, a needle, and a capture feature actuable to grip and retain the suture after the suture has been passed through a tissue body. An actuation mechanism can both move the needle between retracted and extended positions, and move the capture feature between open and closed configurations, via a single actuation. The capture feature may be a trap door which is axially translatable relative to the first jaw member to overlap a portion of the first jaw member and trap a portion of the suture between the trap door and the overlapped portion. The first jaw member may be movable relative to a second jaw member to grasp a tissue body. The instrument can grasp a tissue body, pass the suture through the tissue, capture and retain the suture without being repositioned relative to the tissue.
143 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A suturing apparatus for passing suture through a tissue body, comprising:
-
a first jaw member disposed at a distal end of the suturing apparatus, the first jaw member having an aperture extending therethrough; a needle having a suture engagement feature, the needle movable between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the distal end of the suturing apparatus, wherein in the extended position a portion of the needle extends through the aperture to carry a portion of suture through the aperture; and a capture feature formed on the distal end of the suturing apparatus, the capture feature actuable to releasably grip and retain suture; wherein the suturing apparatus is actuable, while remaining in an unmoved juxtaposition relative to the tissue body, to move the needle from the retracted position to the extended position to carry the portion of suture through the tissue body and the aperture, and to actuate the capture feature to firmly and releasably grip the portion of suture after the portion of suture has been carried by the needle through the tissue body and the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for passing suture through a tissue body, comprising:
-
positioning an aperture of a first jaw member of a suturing apparatus adjacent a tissue body to be sutured, the first jaw member disposed on a distal end of the suturing apparatus; moving a needle of the suturing apparatus from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the distal end of the suturing apparatus, the needle moving through the tissue body and the aperture and carrying a portion of a suture through the tissue body and through the aperture, actuating a capture feature formed on a distal end of the suturing apparatus; and gripping the suture portion with the capture feature after the suture portion has been carried through the tissue body and the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A suturing apparatus for passing suture through a tissue body, comprising:
-
first and second jaw members disposed at a distal end of the suturing apparatus, at least one of the first and second jaws movable relative to the other to grasp tissue between the jaw members, the first jaw member comprising a window extending therethrough; a needle having a suture engagement feature, the needle movable between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the distal end of the suturing apparatus, wherein in the extended position a portion of the needle extends through the window to carry a portion of suture through the window; a trap door disposed immediately adjacent the window, the trap door movable relative to the window to provide an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein when in the closed configuration, a portion of suture extending through the window is captured between the trap door and the first jaw; and a first actuation mechanism actuable by a single actuation to move the needle between the retracted and extended positions, and to move the trap door relative to the window to provide the open and closed configurations, in a coordinated sequence. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method for passing suture through a tissue body, comprising:
-
positioning first and second jaw members disposed at a distal end of a suturing apparatus relative to a tissue body such that a window extending through the first jaw member overlays the tissue body; moving one of the first and second jaw members relative to the other to grasp the tissue body between the jaw members; and actuating a first actuation mechanism with a single actuation, wherein actuating the first actuation mechanism comprises, in a coordinated sequence; moving a trap door disposed immediately adjacent the window relative to the window to provide an open configuration; moving a needle having a suture engagement feature from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the distal end of the suturing apparatus; moving a portion of the needle through the tissue body and the window thereby carrying a portion of suture through the tissue body and the window; moving the needle from the extended position to the retracted position thereby moving the portion of the needle out of the window and leaving the portion of suture extending though the tissue body and the window; and moving the trap door relative to the window to provide a closed configuration, thereby capturing the portion of suture between the trap door and the first jaw. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification