Stitching devices for heart valve replacement surgery
First Claim
1. A surgical suturing instrument for use in heart valve replacement surgery comprising:
- a housing having an elongated body portion extending distally therefrom;
a first jaw mounted on a distal end of the body portion and oriented at a predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the body portion, the predetermined angle being greater than 0°
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a second jaw, the second jaw movable between a first position adjacent the first jaw and a second position spaced apart from the first jaw;
at least one handle pivotally mounted to the housing, at least the second jaw movable in response to actuation of the handle;
a securing mechanism for alternately engaging and releasing a surgical needle within at least one of the first and second jaws; and
the surgical needle having a curved body portion, an elongated penetrating portion extending from one end of the body portion and a pointed portion extending from an opposite end of the body portion, the needle being received in one of the first and second jaws.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There are provided surgical suturing apparatus or stitching devices particularly suited for use in suturing artificial heart valves to heart tissue during heart valve replacement surgery. The disclosed apparatus include a stationary jaw oriented at a predetermined angle relative to the apparatus to facilitate suturing through the artificial valve in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the valve. One embodiment of the stitching device utilizes a pair of surgical needles or incision members joined by a single length of suture material. There are also disclosed disposable loading units for providing suture - needle assemblies to the suturing apparatus. Also disclosed are methods of suturing an artificial heart valve to heart tissue using the disclosed apparatus.
584 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A surgical suturing instrument for use in heart valve replacement surgery comprising:
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a housing having an elongated body portion extending distally therefrom; a first jaw mounted on a distal end of the body portion and oriented at a predetermined angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the body portion, the predetermined angle being greater than 0°
;a second jaw, the second jaw movable between a first position adjacent the first jaw and a second position spaced apart from the first jaw; at least one handle pivotally mounted to the housing, at least the second jaw movable in response to actuation of the handle; a securing mechanism for alternately engaging and releasing a surgical needle within at least one of the first and second jaws; and the surgical needle having a curved body portion, an elongated penetrating portion extending from one end of the body portion and a pointed portion extending from an opposite end of the body portion, the needle being received in one of the first and second jaws. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A dual needle stitching device for use in surgery comprising:
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a housing; a body portion extending distally from the housing; a first jaw mounted to a distal end of the body portion, the first jaw configured to receive a pair of surgical incision members therein; a second jaw mounted to the distal end of the housing, the second jaw configured to receive the pair of surgical incision members therein; at least one handle mounted on the housing, the second jaw movable relative to the first jaw in response to actuation of the at least one handle; and a securing mechanism operable relative to the first jaw and the second jaw, the securing mechanism operable to alternately secure the pair of surgical incision members within the first jaw and the second jaw. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A disposable loading unit for use with a surgical suturing apparatus having at least one jaw comprising:
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a base; apparatus receiving structure movably mounted on the base, the apparatus receiving structure configured to receive a distal end of a surgical suturing apparatus; and a needle supply station on the base, the needle supply station having a needle support member movably mounted therein, the needle support member releasably holding at least one surgical needle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A disposable loading unit for use with a dual needle stitching device comprising:
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a needle support having a plurality of needle supply stations thereon, each needle supply station configured to releasably retain a pair of surgical needles connected by a single length of suture material; and a suture support affixed to the needle support, the suture support having at least one tube for receipt of the length of suture material. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of suturing an artificial heart valve to heart tissue comprising the steps of:
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providing a suturing device having a first and a second jaw, at least one needle connected to a single length of suture material releasably retained within one of the first and second jaws; providing an artificial heart valve having a cuff portion; positioning the at least one needle adjacent heart tissue and the cuff portion of the valve; closing the jaws to pierce the tissue and cuff portion with the at least one needle; releasing the at least one needle from the one of the first and second jaws and grasping the at least one needle with the other of the first and second jaws; and opening the first and second jaws to draw the length of suture material through the tissue and cuff portion.
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Specification