Endoscopic suture system

• US 5,662,664 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Laurus Medical Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Norman S., Quick, Richard L., Cooper, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/444,207
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/145, 606/147, 606/148, 606/222-227, 112/80.03, 112/169
• US Class Current: 606/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• 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 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0625 the needle being specially adapted to interact with the manipulator, e.g. being ridged to snap fit in a hole of the manipulator A61B17/06109 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00637 for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00663 the implement being a suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/047 having at least one proximally pointing needle located at the distal end of the instrument, e.g. for suturing trocar puncture wounds starting from inside the body J-shaped suture needles A61B2017/0608
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0474 Knot pushers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0479 Packages or dispensers for MIS suturing instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2901 Details of shaft

Abstract

A suturing device includes a shouldered surgical needle where the shoulder has a cross sectional transverse dimension. A suture is attached to a distal portion of the needle. A needle catch having a flexible aperture with a relaxed dimension which is smaller than the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder allows insertion of the needle into the flexible aperture by expansion of the flexible aperture to a stretched dimension which is substantially equal to the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder. The shoulder on the needle prevents removal of the needle from the flexible aperture in a direction which is the reverse of its direction of insertion into the flexible aperture. A removal aperture may be positioned adjacent to and contiguous with the flexible aperture where the removal aperture has a dimension which is larger than the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder, thereby allowing the needle and attached suture to be removed from the needle catch when the needle and attached suture are moved from the flexible aperture to the removal aperture.

Claims

1. A passive needle catch for receiving and retaining a shouldered surgical needle, said catch comprising a single structural support member which supports a plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures, wherein said single structural support member further comprises a sheet of foundation material in which said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures are formed, wherein entrance of the shouldered surgical needle into one of said flexible apertures expands said aperture to allow passage of the needle shoulder into said aperture which then contracts after the needle shoulder has passed through said aperture, wherein each of said flexible apertures further comprises a removal aperture portion, said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture having a dimension which is larger than the needle shoulder, thereby allowing the needle to be removed from said needle catch when the needle is moved to said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture.

2. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a needle comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge;

a suture attached to said distal portion of said needle; and

a needle catch comprising a single structural support member which supports a plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures, wherein each of said flexible apertures has a first relaxed dimension which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder but allows insertion of said needle into said aperture along an insertion direction by expansion of said flexible aperture first relaxed dimension to a stretched dimension which is substantially equal to said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder by the passage of said tapered section, said aperture returning to a second relaxed dimension, also smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder ledge thereby preventing removal of said needle from said catch in a direction which is the reverse of said insertion direction.

3. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said single structural support member further comprises a sheet of foundation material in which said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures are formed.

4. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said flexible apertures further comprises a removal aperture portion, said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture having a dimension which is larger than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, thereby allowing said needle to be removed from said needle catch when said needle is moved to said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture.

5. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein:

said single structural support member further comprises a frame; and

said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures further comprise a woven mesh supported by said frame.

6. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a needle comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge;

a suture attached to said distal portion of said needle;

a needle catch comparison a single structural support member which supports a plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures, wherein said single structural support member further comprises a sheet of foundation material in which said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures are formed, wherein each of said flexible apertures has a first relaxed dimension which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder but allows insertion of said needle into said aperture along an insertion direction by expansion of said flexible aperture first relaxed dimension to a stretched dimension which is substantially equal to said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder by the passage of said tapered section, said aperture returning to a second relaxed dimension, also smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder ledge thereby preventing removal of said needle from said catch in a direction which is the reverse of said insertion direction, wherein each of said flexible apertures further comprises a removal aperture portion, said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture having a dimension which is larger than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, thereby allowing said needle to be removed from said needle catch when said needle is moved to said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture.

7. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a shouldered surgical needle comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said shouldered surgical needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge; and

a passive needle catch for receiving and retaining said shouldered surgical needle, said catch comprising a single structural support member which supports a plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures, wherein entrance of said shouldered surgical needle into one of said flexible apertures expands said aperture to allow passage of said needle shoulder into said aperture which then contracts after said needle shoulder has passed through said aperture.

8. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said single structural support member further comprises a sheet of foundation material in which said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures are formed.

9. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said flexible apertures further comprises a removal aperture portion, said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture having a dimension which is larger than the needle shoulder, thereby allowing the needle to be removed from said needle catch when the needle is moved to said removal aperture portion of said flexible aperture.

10. A suturing apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said single structural support member further comprises a frame; and

said plurality of adjacently positioned flexible apertures further comprise a woven mesh supported by said frame.

11. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a shouldered surgical needle comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said shouldered surgical needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge; and

a passive needle catch for said shouldered surgical needle, said catch comprising a sheet of foundation material in which is formed an aperture having a first region which has a dimension which is at least as large as said needle shoulder first cross sectional transverse dimension thereby allowing passage of said shoulder through said aperture, said aperture further having a second region positioned adjacent to said first region and contiguous with said first region, said second region having a dimension which is smaller than said needle shoulder first cross sectional transverse dimension, thereby preventing passage of said shoulder through said second region of said aperture.

12. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a needle comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge;

a suture attached to said distal portion of said needle;

a needle catch comprising a sheet of foundation material in which is formed a flexible aperture having a first relaxed dimension which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder but allows insertion of said needle into said aperture along an insertion direction by expansion of said flexible aperture first relaxed dimension to a stretched dimension which is substantially equal to said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder by the passage of said tapered section, said aperture returning to a second relaxed dimension, also smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder ledge thereby preventing removal of said needle from said catch in a direction which is the reverse of said insertion direction; and

a removal aperture formed in said sheet of foundation material, said removal aperture positioned adjacent to and contiguous with said flexible aperture, said removal aperture having a dimension which is larger than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, thereby allowing said needle and attached suture to be removed from said needle catch when said needle and attached suture are moved from said flexible aperture to said removal aperture.

13. A suturing apparatus comprising:

a shouldered surgical needle having a suture attached thereto, said shouldered surgical needle further comprising a point which is connected to a shoulder by means of a tapered section wherein the connection of said tapered section to said shoulder defines a first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder, said shoulder further connected to a distal portion of said shouldered surgical needle immediately adjacent said connection of said tapered section with said shoulder, wherein the connection of said distal section to said shoulder defines a second cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder which is smaller than said first cross sectional transverse dimension of said shoulder thereby forming a shoulder ledge; and

a passive needle catch for receiving and retaining said shouldered surgical needle having a suture attached thereto, said passive needle catch further comprising;

a flexible aperture which is formed in a sheet of foundation material, wherein said flexible aperture expands to allow passage of said needle shoulder into said flexible aperture and contracts after said needle shoulder has passed through said flexible aperture; and

a removal aperture formed in said sheet of foundation material, said removal aperture positioned adjacent to and contiguous with said flexible aperture, said removal aperture having a dimension which is larger than said needle shoulder first cross sectional transverse dimension, thereby allowing said shouldered surgical needle and attached suture to be removed from said passive needle catch when said shouldered surgical needle and attached suture are moved from said flexible aperture to said removal aperture.