Instrument and method for suturing anatomical tissue and tying suture material
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A suturing instrument for causing a needle having suture material attached thereto to pass through anatomical tissue and for tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said instrument comprising:
- an elongated barrel extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal end and a proximal end;
a needle driver having a needle holding member extending from said distal end of said barrel;
a needle catcher having a needle holding member extending from said distal end of said barrel; and
means for manipulating said needle driver and said needle catcher to pass the needle from said needle driver to said needle catcher to cause the needle to pass through the anatomical tissue and for manipulating the needle driver and the needle catcher to pass the needle from one of said needle driver and said needle catcher to the other of said needle driver and said needle catcher to tie a knot in the suture material, respective ones of the needle holding members move arcuately about the longitudinal axis when manipulated.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An instrument and method for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle and typing a knot in the suture material includes a barrel having two needle holders therein which can be manipulated from a proximal end of the barrel to cause the needle to pass through tissue and to pass the needle from one needle holder to the other to tie a knot in the suture material.
363 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A suturing instrument for causing a needle having suture material attached thereto to pass through anatomical tissue and for tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said instrument comprising:
-
an elongated barrel extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal end and a proximal end; a needle driver having a needle holding member extending from said distal end of said barrel; a needle catcher having a needle holding member extending from said distal end of said barrel; and means for manipulating said needle driver and said needle catcher to pass the needle from said needle driver to said needle catcher to cause the needle to pass through the anatomical tissue and for manipulating the needle driver and the needle catcher to pass the needle from one of said needle driver and said needle catcher to the other of said needle driver and said needle catcher to tie a knot in the suture material, respective ones of the needle holding members move arcuately about the longitudinal axis when manipulated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of suturing anatomical tissue using a length of suture material attached to a needle and tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
introducing a distal end of an instrument extending along a longitudinal axis and having a barrel, a needle driver, and a needle catcher into an area proximate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle driver; positioning the anatomical tissue proximate a tip of the suture needle; manipulating the needle driver in an arcuate manner about the longitudinal axis to cause a tip of the needle to penetrate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle catcher; releasing the needle from the needle driver; manipulating the needle catcher in an arcuate manner about the longitudinal axis to pull the needle entirely through the anatomical issue; and tying a knot in the suture material by transferring the needle from one of the needle catcher and the needle driver to the other of the needle catcher and the needle driver. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of suturing anatomical tissue using a length of suture material attached to a needle and tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
introducing a distal end of an instrument having a barrel, a needle driver, and a needle catcher into an area proximate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle driver; positioning the anatomical tissue proximate a tip of the suture needle; manipulating the needle driver to cause a tip of the needle to penetrate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle catcher; releasing the needle from the needle driver; manipulating the needle catcher to pull the needle entirely through the anatomical tissue; and tying a knot in the suture material by transferring the needle from one of the needle catcher and the needle driver to the other of the needle catcher and the needle driver, wherein the needle driver comprises a driver shaft extending through at least a portion ofthe barrel, a driver connecting member extending from a distal end of said driver shaft, and driver jaw members disposed on the driver connecting member and having a longitudinal axis that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the driver shaft, and the needle catcher comprises a catcher shaft extending through at least a portion of the barrel, a catcher connecting member extending from a distal end of the catcher shaft, and catcher jaw members disposed on the catcher connecting member and having a longitudinal axis that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the catcher shaft, said manipulating steps and said tying step comprising rotating at least one of the catcher shaft and the driver shaft.
-
-
23. A method of suturing anatomical tissue using a length of suture material attached to a needle and tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
introducing a distal end of an instrument having a barrel, a needle driver, and a needle catcher into an area proximate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle driver; positioning the anatomical tissue proximate a tip of the suture needle; manipulating the needle driver to cause a tip of the needle to penetrate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle catcher; releasing the needle from the needle driver; manipulating the needle catcher to pull the needle entirely through the anatomical tissue; and tying a knot in the suture material by transferring the needle from one of the needle catcher and the needle driver to the other of the needle catcher and the needle driver, wherein the needle driver and the needle catcher move independently in said manipulating steps.
-
-
24. A method of suturing anatomical tissue using a length of suture material attached to a needle and tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
introducing a distal end of an instrument having a barrel, a needle driver, and a needle catcher into an area proximate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle driver; positioning the anatomical tissue proximate a tip of the suture needle; manipulating the needle driver to cause a tip of the needle to penetrate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle catcher; releasing the needle from the needle driver; manipulating the needle catcher to pull the needle entirely through the anatomical tissue; and tying a knot in the suture material by transferring the needle from one of the needle catcher and the needle driver to the other of the needle catcher and the needle driver by moving the needle away from the tissue, transferring the needle from the needle catcher to the needle driver, manipulating the instrument to define a loop in the suture material, transferring the needle from the needle driver to the needle catcher to cause the needle to pass through the loop, and placing tension on a free end of said suture material to tighten the knot, wherein the free end of the suture material extends through a channel formed in the barrel to a proximal end of the instrument and said step of placing tension comprises grasping the free end of the suture material from the proximal end.
-
-
25. A method of suturing anatomical tissue using a length of suture material attached to a needle and tying a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material and retain tension in the suture material, said method comprising the steps of:
-
introducing a distal end of an instrument having a barrel, a needle driver, and a needle catcher into an area proximate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle driver; positioning the anatomical tissue proximate a tip of the suture needle; manipulating the needle driver to cause a tip of the needle to penetrate the anatomical tissue; grasping the needle with the needle catcher; releasing the needle from the needle driver; manipulating the needle catcher to pull the needle entirely through the anatomical tissue; and tying a knot in the suture material by transferring the needle from one of the needle catcher and the needle driver to the other of the needle catcher and the needle driver by moving the needle away from the tissue, transferring the needle from the needle catcher to the needle driver, manipulating the instrument to define a loop in the suture material, transferring the needle from the needle driver to the needle catcher to cause the needle to pass through the loop, and placing tension on a free end of said suture material to tighten the knot by grasping the free end of the suture material with a grasping instrument which extends through a channel defined in the barrel.
-
Specification