Surgical suturing device

• US 5,876,412 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hadi A. Piraka
• Original Assignee: Hadi A. Piraka
• Inventors: Piraka, Hadi A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/870,538
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/146, 606/147, 606/148
• US Class Current: 606/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0491 Sewing machines for surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws

Abstract

A surgical suturing device for repairing wounds and incisions. In a first aspect of the invention, a slender elongated rod is connected to a movable handle to bring together a pair of pivotally connected needle holders. The needle holders have a pair of phased latches which control wire-like retainers which move in and out of end portions of the pivotally connected needle holders. The wire-like retainers interlock with circular grooves in opposite thread and point end portions of a surgical needle. Each time the slender rod is advanced toward the needle holders, the needle holders pivot toward each other and the rod simultaneously contacts the latches to alternately hold and release the thread and end portions of the needle. In a second aspect of the invention, each time the slender rod is advanced toward the needle holders, resilient members on sides of the needle holders simultaneously depress to alternately hold and release the thread and point end portions of the needle.

Claims

1. In a surgical suturing device of the type wherein opposite thread and point end portions of a surgical needle are simultaneously held and released by said surgical device, the improvement comprised of:

a means for simultaneously holding and releasing said opposite end portions of said surgical needle, said means comprising;

a circular groove in at least one of said needle'"'"'s end portions;

a pair of pivotally connected needle holders, one of said needle holders having an extensible wire-like distal end portion for holding one of said needle'"'"'s end portions by interlocking said wire-like portion with said circular groove; and

a pair of latches for simultaneously interlocking said wire-like end portion of said needle holder with said circular groove and releasing said other end portion of said needle.

2. The improvement as recited in claim 1 further comprising a means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches comprises:

an axially movable rigid member for simultaneously operating each of said latches.

4. The improvement as recited in claim 3 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches comprises:

a slender tube, said tube having a pair of laterally extending arms;

a slender elongated rod slidably mounted in said tube, said rod having a loop end portion extending outwardly from said laterally extending arms portion of said tube and an opposite end portion for simultaneously operating each of said latches.

5. The improvement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches comprises:

a resilient member mounted on each of said needle holders for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and releasing the other of said latches when said needle holders are brought adjacent to each other.

6. The improvement as recited in claim 2 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches comprises:

a pair of pivotally connected handles, said handles including a fixed handle and a movable handle;

a slidably mounted elongated slender rod pivotally connected to said movable handle, said slender rod having an enlarged end portion for simultaneously depressing a pair of members extending out of said latches.

7. The improvement as recited in claim 2 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and disengaging the other of said latches comprises:

a pair of pivotally connected handles;

a pair of links, each of said links having an end portion pivotally connected to an end portion of said other link and an opposite end portion pivotally connected to a distal end portion of one of said handles;

a slidably mounted rod, said rod having an end pivotally connected to said pivotally connected end portions of said links and an opposite end portion for simultaneously operating each of said latches.

8. In a surgical suturing device of the type wherein opposite ends of a needle are simultaneously held and released by said surgical device, the improvement comprised of:

a surgical needle, said needle having a thread end portion, a point end portion, and a circular groove in said thread end and said point end portions;

a pair of pivotally connected handles, said handles including a fixed handle and a movable handle;

a slidably mounted elongated slender rod for fore and aft movement toward and away from said surgical needle and pivotally connected at an end portion thereof to said movable handle, said slender rod having an enlarged opposite end portion for simultaneously operating a latch of each of a pair of needle holders to alternately engage and disengage a wire-like member slidably mounted in each of said needle holders with one of said needle'"'"'s circular grooves; and

a pair of pivotally connected needle holders for simultaneously holding and releasing said thread and point end portions of said surgical needle, each of said needle holders having a latch and a slidably mounted wire-like member for alternately interlocking said needle holders with one of said circular grooves to hold and release said thread and said point end portions of said needle.

9. In a surgical suturing device of the type wherein opposite ends of a needle are simultaneously held and released by said surgical device, the improvement comprised of:

a surgical needle having a thread end portion, a point end portion, and a circular groove in said thread end and in said point end portions;

a pair of pivotally connected handles;

a pair of links, each of said links having an end portion pivotally connected to an end portion of said other link and an opposite end portion pivotally connected to a distal end portion of one of said handles;

a slidably mounted rod, said rod having an end portion pivotally connected to said pivotally connected end portions of said links, said rod having an enlarged end portion for simultaneously operating a latch in each of a pair of needle holders to alternately engage and disengage a wire-like member of each of said needle holders with one of said needle'"'"'s circular grooves; and

a pair of pivotally connected needle holders for simultaneously holding and releasing said opposite end portions of said surgical needle, each of said needle holders having a latch and a wire-like member for alternately interlocking with one of said circular grooves to hold and release said thread and said point end portions of said needle.

10. A surgical suturing device for repairing wounds and incisions, comprised of:

a surgical needle, said needle having a thread end portion, a point end portion, and a circular groove at said thread and said point portions;

a pair of pivotally connected handles, said handles including a fixed handle and a movable handle;

a slidably mounted elongated slender rod pivotally connected to said movable handle, a pair of pivotally connected needle holders, each of said needle holders having an angular slot at an end portion of said slender rod, a slidably mounted wire-like member for engaging one of said circular grooves of said needle, and a latch to alternately hold and release one of said needle'"'"'s end portions; and

a means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and releasing the other of said latches;

said means comprising;

an enlarged end portion of said slidably mounted rod for simultaneously operating each of said latches.

11. The surgical suturing device as recited in claim 10 wherein said means for simultaneously engaging one of said latches and releasing the other of said latches is comprised of a resilient member in each of said latches for simultaneously operating said latches when said needle holders are brought together to depress both of said resilient members.