Apparatus for cinching a knot on a surgical suture
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating the tying of a knot in a flexible line that has a first portion extending through a tissue/organ and first and second free ends extending away from the first portion and wrapped around each other to define a loop, said apparatus comprising:
- a support to be held by a user of the apparatus;
a first jaw;
a second jaw;
first means located between the first jaw and at least one of the support and second jaw for allowing the first jaw to be moved relative to the at least one of the support and second jaw between a) a first position wherein the first jaw and at least one of the second jaw and support cooperatively define a first annular wall bounding a space within which the flexible line is adapted to be directed along a first line and b) a second position wherein there is an entry opening defined through the first annular wall to permit entry therethrough of the flexible line into the space transversely to the first line; and
second means on at least one of the first jaw, the second jaw and support for defining a pushing surface for the flexible line in the space to allow the pushing surface to bear slidingly against a flexible line in the space to thereby cinch a knot formed in the flexible line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for facilitating the tying of a knot in a flexible line that has a first portion extending through a tissue/organ and first and second free ends extending away from the first portion and wrapped around each other to thereby define a loop. The apparatus has a support to be held by a user of the apparatus, a first jaw, a second jaw, first structure cooperating between the first jaw and at least one of the support and second jaw for allowing the first jaw to be moved relative to the at least one of the support and second jaw between a) a first position wherein the first jaw and at least one of the second jaw and support cooperatively define a first annular wall bounding a space into which the flexible line can be directed along a first line and b) a second position wherein there is an entry opening defined through the first annular wall to permit entry therethrough of the flexible line into the space along a direction transverse to the first line, and second structure on at least one of the first jaw, the second jaw and support for defining a pushing surface for the flexible line in the space to allow the pushing surface to bear slidingly against the flexible line in the space to thereby cinch a knot formed in the flexible line.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating the tying of a knot in a flexible line that has a first portion extending through a tissue/organ and first and second free ends extending away from the first portion and wrapped around each other to define a loop, said apparatus comprising:
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a support to be held by a user of the apparatus; a first jaw; a second jaw; first means located between the first jaw and at least one of the support and second jaw for allowing the first jaw to be moved relative to the at least one of the support and second jaw between a) a first position wherein the first jaw and at least one of the second jaw and support cooperatively define a first annular wall bounding a space within which the flexible line is adapted to be directed along a first line and b) a second position wherein there is an entry opening defined through the first annular wall to permit entry therethrough of the flexible line into the space transversely to the first line; and second means on at least one of the first jaw, the second jaw and support for defining a pushing surface for the flexible line in the space to allow the pushing surface to bear slidingly against a flexible line in the space to thereby cinch a knot formed in the flexible line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of cinching a knot formed in a flexible line that has a first portion extending through a tissue/organ and first and second free ends projecting away from the first portion and wrapped around each other to form a knot which defines a loop, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an apparatus having a support, a first jaw, a second jaw, and first means cooperating between the first jaw and at least one of the support and second jaws for allowing the first jaw to be moved relative to the at least one of the support and second jaw between a) a first position wherein the first jaw and at least one of the second jaw and support cooperatively define a first annular wall bounding a space within which the flexible line can be directed along a first line and b) a second position wherein there is an entry opening defined through the first annular wall to permit entry therethrough of the flexible line into the space transversely to the first line; placing the first jaw in the second position; directing one of the free ends of the flexible line through the entry opening through the first annular wall; placing the first jaw in the first position; and sliding the first and second jaws along the one of the free ends of the flexible line towards the first portion of the flexible line to thereby reduce the diameter of the loop. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification