SUTURE APPLICATOR

• US 3,807,407 A
• Filed: 01/18/1973
• Issued: 04/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward E. Schweizer
• Original Assignee: Edward E. Schweizer
• Inventors: Schweizer, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/324,838
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334R,340,326,339
• US Class Current: 606/145
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00

Abstract

A surgical instrument for mechanically suturing an incision or wound comprising first and second pivotally interconnected jaw elements, a replaceable suture magazine containing a single looped suture, the free ends of which are provided with short needles, means on said first jaw for supporting said suture magazine with said needles facing said second jaw, said second jaw including means for receiving and frictionally retaining said needles, whereby upon the positioning of the edge areas of an incision between said jaws, and the closing of the same thereupon, said needles and suture are moved from said magazine to said second jaw to be retained thereon, and after the opening of said jaws to permit manual removal therefrom, and the tying of the suture. One embodiment substitutes metallic staples for the suture and suture needles.

Claims

1. A surgical suture applicator comprising:

a first lever including a first jaw arm thereon;

a second jaw arm;

a pivotal connection between said first lever including said first jaw arm and said second jaw arm;

an actuator lever also pivotally mounted on said connection;

a latch member carried on said second jaw arm;

means on said actuator lever engaging said latch member to transmit pivotal movement to said second jaw arm through a predetermined angle toward said first jaw arm to a relatively closed condition;

means on said second jaw arm operable to disengage said latch member, and means located on surfaces of said second jaw arm and said first lever operable to interlock said second jaw arm and said first lever when said first and second jaw arms move into said relatively closed condition; and

means on said actuator lever for operating suturing means when said first lever and second jaw arms are interlocked.

2. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 wherein said latch member disengaging means comprises:

a cam member on said first lever engageable by said latch member as said first and second jaw arms move toward said relatively closed condition.

3. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 including:

a protuberance on said actuator member;

a surface on said protuberance which is perfectly flat and on a center line of said pivotal connection;

a surface on said latch member which is flat and in face-to-face engagement with said protuberance surface; and

said latch member being pivotally carried on said second jaw arm.

4. The surgical suture applicatOr defined by claim 1 wherein said interlocking means comprises:

a spring detent on one of said first lever and said second jaw arm; and

a recess on the other of said first lever and said second jaw arm.

5. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 4 wherein:

said spring detent is disposed on said second jaw arm on a side of said pivotal connection to bias said second jaw arm relative to said first lever toward said relatively closed condition.

6. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 wherein said interlocking means comprises:

a plunger on said second jaw arm;

a recess on said first lever opposing said plunger when said jaws are in said relatively closed condition;

a cam follower behind said plunger;

spring means interposed between said plunger and said cam follower;

high and low cam dwell surfaces on said actuator lever engaging said cam follower;

said high dwell surface being operable to force said cam follower to overcome said sprng means and engage against said plunger forming a solid column between said actuator lever and said first lever after said actuator lever is released by said latch member.

7. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 including:

means on said actuator lever and said second jaw arm for disengaging said interlocking means upon moving said actuator lever in a reverse direction to move said jaw arms to relatively open condition.

8. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 6 wherein said means comprises:

opposing push surfaces on said actuator lever and said second jaw arm engageable during said reverse movement to overcome said interlocking means and pivot said second jaw arms with said actuator lever.

9. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 including:

a pair of opposing stop surfaces on said first and second jaw arms engageable when said arms are in said relatively closed position.

10. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 wherein said suture operating means comprises:

means on said second jaw arm for carrying a needle and suture;

a receptacle on said first jaw arm to receive a needle driven from said second jaw arm; and

an elongated pusher member on said second jaw arm connected to said actuator lever to drive said needle.

11. The surgical suture applicator defined by claim 1 wherein said suture operating means comprises:

an elongated pusher member on said second jaw arm adapted to drive a needle and suture;

a pusher arm on said actuator lever disposed to pivot about said pivotal connection through an arc generally tangent to the longitudinal axis of said pusher member; and

means attaching said elongated pusher member to said pusher arm.

12. Structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said interlocking means comprises:

a pivotally mounted latch on one of said jaw arms and having an arcuate surface, a corresponding locking surface on an oppositely disposed lever, an arcuate surface on said actuating arm selectively engageable with said arcuate surface on said latch, movement of said jaws to a relatively closed condition serving to engage said arcuate surfaces and positively lock said latch against said locking surface.

13. Structure in accordance with claim 1, including suturing means in the form of a staple-holding magazine removably retained on said second jaw arm.