Suture grasping device

• US 7,169,156 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovasive Devices Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Innovasive Devices Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hart, Rickey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): THALER, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US10/623,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 606/140, 606/141, 606/148, 606/139, 606/205, 606/206, 606/207, 606/144, 112/169
• 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 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00349 Needle-like instruments having hook or barb-like gripping means, e.g. for grasping suture or tissue A61B17/06066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft

Abstract

A device for snaring cord-like objects is provided. The device comprises a hollow shaft having a pointed distal end, a rod having a pair of wires attached to its distal end, the wires being spring biased away from one another, and activation means. The rod and wires are located in the lumen of the shaft in reciprocally movable relationship therewith. The activation means is attached to the proximal ends of the shaft and the rod so as to allow the controlled movement of the rod and wires relative to the shaft. One of the wire-like elements defines a hook-shaped configuration at its distal end. The device allows the wire-like elements to be selectively located within the distal end of the shaft or in a configuration wherein the wire-like elements extend outwardly from the distal end of the shaft in flaring relationship to one another.

Claims

1. A device for grasping and carrying thin cord-like objects comprising:

a hollow, substantially rigid shaft having a proximal end, a straight proximal portion extending along an axis distally of the proximal end, a curved rigid distal portion having a curved centerline curving away from the axis, and a distal end, the distal end being pointed and adapted to pierce soft tissue, and a lumen extending along the axis and the curved centerline from the proximal end to the distal end of said shaft;

a solid rod having a proximal end and a distal end, said rod being positioned in the lumen of the proximal portion of the shaft in reciprocally sliding relationship therewith;

first and second wire-like elements, each having a distal end and a proximal end, said first and second wire-like elements being attached at their respective proximal ends to the distal end of said rod so as to extend distally therefrom and move through the curved distal portion of the shaft in conjunction with the movement of said rod along the axis, said first wire-like element defining a hook-shaped configuration at the distal end thereof; and

actuation means attached to the proximal end of said rod and to the proximal end of said shaft for moving said rod and said wire-like elements between;

(i) a first position wherein the distal ends of said wire-like elements are contained within said shaft in closely spaced relation to one another, and (ii) a second position wherein the distal ends of said wire-like elements extend outwardly from the distal end of said shaft in flared relationship to one another, wherein said actuation means comprises;

a housing attached to the proximal end of said shaft;

a trigger pivotally attached to said housing; and

a spring biased piston attached to the proximal end of said rod and configured to slide within said housing so as to move said rod between the first and second positions;

said first and second wire-like elements being adapted so that when said wire-like elements are in the second position, the distal ends of said first wire-like element and said second wire-like element cooperate to define a gap therebetween for receiving and trapping the thin cord-like object, and wherein the distal end of said first wire-like element grasps the thin cord-like object and carries the thin cord-like object back toward and into the distal end of said shaft when said wire-like elements are moved from the second position to the first position;

whereby said wire-like elements are further adapted to secure the thin cord-like object to said shaft when said wire-like elements are moved from the second position to the first position and release the thin cord-like object when said wire-like elements are moved from the first position to the second position.

2. A method for grasping and carrying a thin cord-like object comprising:

(1) providing a device comprising;

a hollow, substantially rigid shaft having a proximal end, a straight proximal portion extending along an axis distally of the proximal end, a curved rigid distal portion having a curved centerline curving away from the axis and a distal end, the distal end being pointed and adapted to pierce soft tissue, and a lumen extending along the axis and the curved centerline from the proximal end to the distal end of said shaft;

a solid rod having a proximal end and a distal end, said rod being positioned in the lumen of the proximal portion of the shaft in reciprocally sliding relationship therewith;

first and second wire-like elements each having a distal end and a proximal end, said first and second wire-like elements being attached at their respective proximal ends to the distal end of said rod so as to extend distally therefrom and move through the curved distal portion of the shaft in conjunction with the movement of said rod, said first wire-like element defining a hook-shaped configuration at the distal end thereof; and

actuation means attached to the proximal end of said rod and to the proximal end of said shaft for moving said rod and said wire-like elements between (i) a first position wherein the distal ends of said wire-like elements are contained within said shaft in closely spaced relation to another, and (ii) a second position wherein the distal ends of said wire-like elements extend outwardly from the distal end of said shaft in flared relationship to one another, wherein the actuation means comprises;

a housing attached to the proximal end of said shaft;

a trigger pivotally attached to said housing; and

a spring biased piston attached to the proximal end of said rod and configured to slide within said housing so as to move said rod between the first and second positions;

(2) positioning said rod and said wire-like elements in the first position;

(3) forcing the distal end of said shaft through the soft tissue and maneuvering the distal end of said shaft so that it is adjacent to the thin cord-like object which is to be grasped;

(4) positioning said rod and said wire-like elements in the second position by activating said trigger of the actuation means, and maneuvering the distal end of said shaft as needed so as to position the flared distal ends of said wire-like elements on opposite sides of the cord-like object so as to define a gap therebetween for receiving and trapping the thin cord-like object;

(5) thereafter positioning said rod and said wire-like elements in the first position by releasing the trigger of the actuation means, whereby the distal end of said first wire-like element grasps the thin cord-like object and carries the thin cord-like object back toward and into the distal end of said shaft as said wire-like elements are moved from the second position to the first position, whereby the wire-like elements are adapted to secure the thin cord-like object to said shaft when said wire-like elements are moved from the second position to the first position and release the thin cord-like object when said wire-like elements are moved from the first position to the second position; and

(6) repeating steps (2) through (5) so as to further maneuver the distal end of said shaft to grasp the thin cord-like object and pass it through the soft tissue.