Wheeled Suture Passer

• US 20140107673A1
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: SNYDER, Terry H., FRITZINGER, Daniel D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00389 Button or wheel for performing multiple functions, e.g. rotation of shaft and end effector
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist

Abstract

A suture passer assembly is used for manipulating a suture with a selectively moveable wire member. The suture passer assembly includes at least one grasping member and a single-body hollow tube. The tube defines a first end, a second end, a tube wall, and a tube passage extending from the first end to the second end. The wire member is moveably received within the tube passage. The tube wall includes at least one aperture that is disposed between the first end and the second end. A first portion of the grasping member extends through the tube wall and into the tube passage via the aperture. A second portion of the grasping member remains outside the hollow tube. The first portion is operable to grasp the wire member and selectively move the wire member relative to the hollow tube due to manipulation of the second portion of the grasping member.

Claims

1. A suture passer assembly for manipulating a suture with a selectively moveable wire member, the suture passer assembly comprising:

at least one grasping member; and

a single-body hollow tube defining a first end, a second end, a tube wall, and a tube passage extending from the first end to the second end, the wire member moveably received within the tube passage, the tube wall including at least one aperture that is disposed between the first end and the second end, a first portion of the at least one grasping member extending through the tube wall and into the tube passage via the at least one aperture, a second portion of the at least one grasping member remaining outside the hollow tube, the first portion operable to grasp the wire member and selectively move the wire member relative to the hollow tube due to manipulation of the second portion of the at least one grasping member.

2. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, further comprising a handle member, the handle moveably supporting the at least one grasping member and operably supporting the hollow tube.

3. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle member encloses the first end of the hollow tube and wherein the second end of the hollow tube is exposed from the handle member.

4. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one grasping member comprises a first grasping member and a second grasping member, wherein the at least one aperture comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein the first grasping member is received within the first aperture and the second grasping member is received within the second aperture, the first and second grasping members being operable to cooperatively and selectively move the wire member relative to the hollow tube.

5. The suture passer assembly of claim 4, wherein the hollow tube defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are substantially symmetrical with respect to each other on opposites sides of the longitudinal axis.

6. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one grasping member includes a wheel that is rotationally supported relative to the hollow tube.

7. The suture passer assembly of claim 6, wherein the wheel includes a compressible member, the compressible member being received within the at least one aperture.

8. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one grasping member includes a first wheel and a second wheel that cooperate to selectively move the wire member relative to the hollow tube, the first wheel including a first set of radial projections, the second wheel including a second set of radial projections, the first and second sets of radial projections being engaged such that rotation of one of the first and second wheels drives the other of the first and second wheels.

9. The suture passer assembly of claim 8, wherein the first wheel is operable to rotate about a first rotational axis and the second wheel is operable to rotate about a second rotational axis, the first portion of the first wheel being spaced away from the first set of radial projections along the first rotational axis, the first portion of the second wheel being spaced away from the second set of radial projections along the second rotational axis, the first and second set of radial projections being disposed outside the hollow tube.

10. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the hollow tube defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one aperture is a slot that extends longitudinally substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

11. The suture passer assembly of claim 10, wherein the tube wall includes an outer tube surface and an inner tube surface, wherein the slot tapers outward from the inner tube surface to the outer tube surface.

12. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, wherein the hollow tube is curved at the second end, and wherein the second end includes a sharpened edge.

13. The suture passer assembly of claim 1, further comprising the wire member.

14. A method of selectively moving a portion of a suture from a first anatomical location to a second anatomical location, the method comprising:

inserting a hollow tube of a suture passer assembly into a patient toward the first anatomical location and toward the portion of the suture, the hollow tube being a single body defining a first end, a second end, a tube wall, and a tube passage extending from the first end to the second end, a wire member with a gripping end moveably received within the tube passage, the tube wall including at least one aperture that is disposed between the first end and the second end, the suture passer assembly also including at least one grasping member with a first portion extending through the tube wall and into the tube passage via the at least one aperture, a second portion of the at least one grasping member remaining outside the hollow tube;

manipulating the second portion such that the first portion pushes the gripping end of the wire member out of the hollow tube from the second end;

manipulating the second portion such that the first portion pulls the gripping end and the portion of the suture toward the hollow tube to secure the portion of the suture to the suture passer assembly; and

moving the portion of the suture to the second anatomical location using the suture passer assembly.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising securing the suture to a first anatomical feature, moving the hollow tube in a first direction through a second anatomical feature, and wherein moving the portion of the suture includes pulling the portion of the suture in a second direction through the second anatomical feature.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising tying the suture after moving the portion of the suture to the second anatomical location to thereby secure the first and second anatomical features together.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the gripping end includes a loop and further comprising receiving the portion of the suture within the loop before manipulating the second portion such that the first portion pulls the gripping end and the portion of the suture toward the hollow tube.

18. A suture passer assembly for manipulating a suture, the suture passer assembly comprising:

a wire member;

a handle member with a handle passage defined therethrough;

a first wheel and a second wheel that are each rotatably supported on the handle member;

a single-body hollow tube defining a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, a tube wall, and a tube passage extending from the first end to the second end, the hollow tube received within the handle passage, the wire member moveably received within the tube passage, the tube wall including a first slot and a second slot that are each disposed between the first end and the second end and that are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first wheel partially extending through the first aperture and into the hollow tube, the second wheel partially extending through the second aperture and into the hollow tube, the first and second wheels operable to cooperatively grasp the wire member within the tube passage such that driving rotation of at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel advances the wire member relative to the tube member.

19. The suture passer assembly of claim 18, wherein the first wheel includes a first set of radial projections, wherein the second wheel includes a second set of radial projections, and the first and second sets of radial projections are meshingly engaged such that rotation of one of the first and second wheels rotatably drives the other of the first and second wheels.

20. The suture passer assembly of claim 18, wherein both the first and second wheels includes a compressible member that resiliently compresses radially when grasping the wire member.

21. The suture passer assembly of claim 18, wherein the first slot and first wheel are disposed substantially symmetrically about the longitudinal axis relative to the second slot and the second wheel.

22. The suture passer assembly of claim 18, wherein the tube wall includes an outer tube surface and an inner tube surface, wherein the first slot tapers outward from the inner tube surface to the outer tube surface, and wherein the second slot tapers outward from the inner tube surface to the outer tube surface.