Endoscopic suturing device

• US 6,755,843 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery US, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation), Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Mizuno, Hitoshi, Chung, Sydney Sheung Chee, Shiro, Chika
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US09/964,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/148, 606/205, 606/222, 606/224, 600/104, 600/121, 600/123, 600/153
• 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 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06009 having additional means for releasably clamping the suture to the needle, e.g. actuating rod slideable within the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip

Abstract

An endoscopic suturing includes a suturing device having a curved needle to suture tissue. The endoscopic suturing device also includes a driving means to maneuver the curved needle. The curved needle and the driving means are placed at a distal end of the endoscopic suturing device. The endoscopic suturing device also includes a flexible endoscope connected to the suturing device.

Claims

1. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism including a flexible wire to rotate said needle;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device; and

a connecting member which connects between the distal end of said suturing device and a proximal end of said suturing device, and which comprises a flexible tubular elongated member in which said flexible wire of said driving mechanism is inserted.

2. The endoscopic suturing device of claim 1, wherein said driving mechanism produces rotary motion of the needle;

and

wherein said needle includes at least one perforation through which a suture is passed for performing a suturing operation.

3. The endoscopic suturing device of claim 1, wherein said driving mechanism produces a rotary motion which is controlled in a forward direction and a backward direction.

4. The endoscopic suturing device of claim 1, wherein said needle includes at least one perforation through which a suture is passed for performing a suturing operation.

5. The endoscopic suturing device of claim 4, wherein said perforation is arranged near a sharp-edged portion of said needle.

6. The endoscopic suturing device of claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of said needle is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of said endoscope.

7. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle rotatably provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

an axis member provided along a rotational axis of said needle;

an arm member coupling said axis member and said needle;

a driving mechanism including a flexible wire which is coupled to said axis member and which rotates said needle; and

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device.

8. An endoscopic suturing device according to claim 7, wherein:

the driving mechanism operates the needle in a direction for piercing the living body by pulling one end of the flexible wire.

9. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to maneuver said needle, said driving mechanism comprising at least one wire;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device; and

at least one cylindrical member arranged to wind said at least one wire.

10. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to maneuver said needle, said driving mechanism comprising at least two wires; and

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device.

11. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to rotate said needle;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device; and

a connecting member which connects between the distal end of said suturing device and a proximal end of said suturing device, and which comprises a flexible and tubular member configured to pass through a forceps channel of said flexible endoscope,

wherein the needle is attached at a distal end of said flexible and tubular elongated member.

12. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to maneuver said needle;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device; and

a connecting member which connects between the distal end of said suturing device and a proximal end of said suturing device, and which comprises a flexible and elongated member configured to pass through a forceps channel of said flexible endoscope,

wherein said flexible and elongated member comprises coils.

13. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to rotate said needle;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device, and

an elongated member which supports said needle and which is movable in a longitudinal direction of the flexible endoscope;

wherein said flexible endoscope includes a protective member covering at least part of said needle at a distal end of said flexible endoscope.

14. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a needle provided at a distal end of said endoscopic suturing device and adapted to suture a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to rotate said needle;

a flexible endoscope connected to said suturing device;

a flexible and elongated member with a proximal and distal end, said needle being disposed on the distal end of the flexible and elongated member; and

an outer channel through which at least a part of said flexible and elongated member is insertable.

15. A suturing device adapted for use with a flexible endoscope, comprising:

an elongated flexible member adapted to be arranged along the flexible endoscope from a distal end to a proximal end thereof;

a needle for holding a suture for suturing a tissue of a body and rotatably arranged at a distal end of the elongated member; and

a driving mechanism for rotating the curved needle.

16. A suturing device adapted for use with a flexible endoscope, comprising:

an elongated flexible member adapted to be arranged along the flexible endoscope from a distal end to a proximal end thereof;

a needle which is coupled to a rotation axis of the elongated flexible member at a distal end of the elongated flexible member, and which is rotatable around the rotation axis in a direction to pierce a living body tissue, said needle being adapted to hold a suture for suturing the living body tissue; and

a flexible wire which is arranged along the elongated flexible member and which applies torque to the needle for rotation.

17. An endoscopic suturing device comprising:

a flexible endoscope having an observation unit at a distal end portion thereof;

a needle rotatably provided forward of the observation unit for holding a suture for suturing a tissue of a body;

a driving mechanism to rotate the needle;

an axis member provided along a rotation axis of the needle;

an arm member coupling the axis member and the needle; and

a protective member comprising a cylindrical member attached at the distal end portion of the flexible endoscope for covering at least a part of the needle so as to prevent undesired piercing of the tissue to be sutured.