Device and method for suturing wound

• US 6,113,610 A
• Filed: 10/05/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Poncet, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US09/166,619
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/148, 606/147, 606/185, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• 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 2017/06019 by means of a suture-receiving lateral eyelet machined in the needle lateral opening for attaching suture to suture anchor A61B2017/0414
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06085 having a blunt tip blunt dissectors A61B2017/320044
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation

Abstract

A surgical device for closing trocar incision sites and delivering sutures. The present invention is a needle assembly in which the needle is constructed of a spring-like material and initially housed within a sheath in a deformed condition. The needle can be easily exposed by sliding an actuator so as to release the constraining means and allow the needle to assume its undeformed condition. The needle assembly has few parts, allows a wide range for deflection of the needle, and the needle may be exposed with a relatively short stroke.

Claims

1. A method of suturing a wound, comprising:

(a) providing a surgical device comprising;

i) a housing including a proximal end, a distal end, a wall defining a chamber, and an opening formed in the wall at the distal end, in communication with the chamber;

ii) a needle comprised of a resilient material which transforms from an undeformed configuration to a deformed configuration upon the application of stress to the needle, the needle being in the deformed configuration in the chamber and the needle reversibly transforms to the undeformed configuration and extends exteriorly of the chamber through the opening upon release of the stress from the needle, the needle having a fixed end non-movably attached to the interior of the distal end of the housing; and

(b) attaching a suture to the needle;

(c) inserting the surgical device into the wound with the needle in the deformed configuration;

(d) releasing the stress from the needle to transform the needle from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration such that the needle extends exteriorly of the housing through the opening in the wall and such that the needle extends exteriorly at a point proximal to the distal end of the housing, the needle having an attached suture;

(e) suturing the wound using the surgical device; and

,

(f) withdrawing the surgical device from the wound.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising before the step of withdrawing, the step of applying stress to the needle to transform the needle from the undeformed configuration to the deformed configuration and to withdraw the needle through the opening and into the chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the needle is comprised of a superelastic material which is superelastically deformed by application of stress to the needle.

4. A method of suturing a wound, comprising:

(a) providing a surgical device including;

i) a housing including a proximal end, a distal end, a wall defining a chamber, and a pair of openings formed in the wall at the distal end, in communication with the chamber; and

ii) a pair of needles each comprised of a resilient material which reversibly transforms from an undeformed configuration to a deformed configuration upon the application of stress to the needle, the needles each being in the deformed configuration in the chamber and the needles each transforming to the undeformed configuration and extending exteriorly of the chamber through one of the openings upon release of the stress from the needles, the needles each having a fixed end non-movably attached to the interior of the distal end of the housing;

(b) inserting the surgical device into the wound with the needles in the deformed configuration;

(c) releasing the stress from the needles to transform the needles from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration such that the needles extend exteriorly of the housing each through one of the openings in the wall and such that the needles extend exteriorly each at a point proximal to the distal end of the housing, the needles each having an attached suture;

(d) suturing the wound; and

,

(e) withdrawing the surgical device from the wound.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 further comprising before the step of withdrawing, the step of applying stress to the needles to transform the needles from the undeformed configuration to the deformed configuration and to withdraw the needles each through one of the openings and into the chamber.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the needles are comprised of a superelastic material which superelastically deforms upon application of the stress to the needles.

7. A method of suturing a wound, comprising:

(a) providing a surgical device including;

i) a housing including a wall defining a chamber and an opening in communication with the chamber;

ii) a needle comprising a first end and a second end and comprised of a shape memory material which reversibly transforms from an undeformed configuration to a deformed configuration upon the application of stress to the needle; and

iii) a sheath comprising a distal end, a proximal end, an interior portion and an exterior portion wherein the first end of the needle is attached to the interior portion of the sheath at the distal end of the sheath;

iv) a slidable sleeve contained within the sheath wherein the sleeve slides within the sheath to releasably apply stress to the needle so as to transform the needle between the deformed configuration and the undeformed configuration;

(b) inserting the surgical device into the wound with the needle in the deformed configuration;

(c) releasing the stress from the needle to transform the needle from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration such that the needle extends exteriorly of the housing through the opening in the wall and such that the needle extends exteriorly at a point proximal to a distal end of the housing, the needle having an attached suture;

(d) suturing the wound; and

(e) withdrawing the surgical device from the wound.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 further comprising before the step of withdrawing, the step of applying stress to the needle to transform the needle from the undeformed configuration to the deformed configuration.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the needle is deployed in its undeformed configuration aided by body temperature at the interior of the wound.

10. A method of suturing a wound in the tissue of a patient, the method comprising:

(a) providing a needle comprised of a superelastic material;

(b) applying a physical stress to the needle to place the needle in a deformed configuration;

(c) inserting the needle into the wound in the abdominal wall in the deformed configuration;

(d) releasing the stress from the needle to transform the needle from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration, the needle having an attached suture;

(e) suturing the wound; and

(f) withdrawing the needle from the wound.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising before the step of withdrawing, the step of applying stress to the needle to transform the needle from the undeformed configuration to the deformed configuration.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the wound in the abdominal wall is created by a trocar.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the needle is deployed in its undeformed configuration aided by body temperature at the interior of the wound.

14. A method of suturing a wound comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a surgical device comprising;

i) a sheath having a longitudinal axis including a proximal end and a distal end;

ii) a recess formed in the wall of the sheath toward the distal end;

iii) a needle constructed of a spring-like material, the needle having a fixed end non-movably attached to the interior of the distal end of the sheath, and the needle being movable from a first retracted position wherein the needle is withdrawn into the recess to a second generally undeformed exposed position wherein the needle is extended from the recess, the needle having a configuration such that upon extension from the distal end of the sheath, the needle points generally in the direction of the proximal end;

iv) a restraining mechanism for constraining the needle in the first retracted position by elastically deforming the needle;

v) an actuator at the proximal end of the sheath for releasing the restraining mechanism, so as to thereby allow the needle to assume an undeformed condition and move to the second exposed position;

(b) inserting the surgical device into the wound with the needle in the deformed configuration;

(c) releasing the stress from the needle to transform the needle from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration;

(d) suturing the wound; and

,

(e) removing the surgical device from the wound.