Knot tying device and method

• US 7,666,196 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christopher R. Miles
• Original Assignee: Christopher R. Miles
• Inventors: Miles, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, PHONG SON H
• Application Number:
  US11/602,567
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/148, 289/2, 289/5, 289/12, 289/17, 289/18.1
• US Class Current: 606/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0474 Knot pushers

Abstract

A knot tying device for tying knots including an inner rod having a longitudinal slot extending between the two open ends from an outer diameter to a hollow center. An hollow cylinder is disposed on the inner rod and has a longitudinal slot extending between the two open ends from an outer diameter to a hollow center. A cord clamp is formed between the hollow cylinder and the inner rod, and secures a cord to an end of the outer hollow cylinder. A cord winding cylinder is rotatably disposed on the inner cylinder and has a cord catch and a longitudinal slot extending between the two open ends from an outer diameter to a hollow center. The cord catch can catch a cord secured by the cord clamp and can wind the cord around the outer hollow cylinder.

Claims

1. A knot tying device for tying knots in a cord, comprising:

a) an inner rod having an aperture sized and shaped to receive a cord;

b) a hollow cylinder rotatably disposable on the inner rod, and having an interior sized and shaped to receive the inner rod therein, and an aperture extending from an outer surface of the hollow cylinder to the interior, the aperture being sized and shaped to receive the cord therethrough, and the outer surface configured to wind the cord thereon; and

c) the inner rod being positionable in the interior of the hollow cylinder to selectively align and misalign the aperture in the inner rod with respect to the aperture in the hollow cylinder such that the cord extending through the aperture in the hollow cylinder to the aperture in the inner rod is clamped between the inner rod and the hollow cylinder when the aperture in the inner rod is misaligned with the aperture in the hollow cylinder a cord winding cylinder, rotatably disposable on the inner rod and hollow cylinder around the hollow cylinder;

the inner rod is rotatably advanceable into the interior of the hollow cylinder;

Wherein the inner rod includes an external thread and the hollow cylinder includes a mating internal thread such that as the inner rod is rotated the external thread engages the internal thread to advance the inner rod into the interior of the hollow cylinder.

2. A knot tying device in accordance with 1, wherein the hollow cylinder further includes a tip disposed on an end of a body cylinder, the tip having a relatively smaller diameter than the body cylinder.

3. A knot tying device in accordance with 2, wherein the tip cylinder further includes an end notch sized and shaped to receive a cord therein.

4. A knot tying device in accordance with 3, wherein the hollow cylinder further includes a substantially conical transition region between the tip cylinder and the body cylinder, the conical transition region defining a ramp between the tip cylinder and the body cylinder sized and shaped to facilitate moving cord windings between the tip cylinder and the body cylinder.

5. A knot tying device for tying knots in cord, comprising:

an inner rod, having a longitudinal slot;

an intermediate hollow cylinder, rotatably disposable on the inner rod, and having a longitudinal slot from an outer diameter to a hollow interior;

the intermediate hollow cylinder being rotatable on the inner rod to selectively align or misalign the slot in the inner rod with respect to the slot in the hollow cylinder to form a cord clamp therebetween when the slots are misaligned;

a cord winding cylinder, rotatably disposable on the intermediate hollow cylinder and longitudinally slidable thereon, and having a longitudinal slot; and

a cord catch disposed on the cord winding cylinder and configured to catch a cord secured between the inner rod and the intermediate hollow cylinder and wind the cord around the outer hollow cylinder;

wherein the internal rod has an external screw thread and the intermediate hollow cylinder has a corresponding internal screw thread such that the intermediate hollow cylinder threads onto the inner rod, and the inner rod is rotatably advanceable along a longitudinal length of the intermediate hollow cylinder.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the cord clamp includes an aperture formed in an end of the inner rod, transverse to the longitudinal slot, such that when the intermediate hollow cylinder is disposed on the inner rod, the intermediate hollow cylinder can be 10 rotated on the inner rod to:

i) align the aperture with the slot on the intermediate hollow cylinder to allow a cord to be placed through the slot and into the aperture; and

ii) misalign the aperture with the slot on the intermediate hollow cylinder to clamp the cord between the inner rod and intermediate hollow cylinder.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the intermediate hollow cylinder further includes:

a smaller end with a relatively smaller diameter with respect to a larger end of the intermediate hollow cylinder diameter; and

a notch formed in the smaller end, the smaller end and notch together forming a knot tying tip around which a cord is wound when tying a knot on the knot tying device.

8. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the inner rod further includes an intermediate notch disposed adjacent the longitudinal slot at an intermediate location between a head end and a tail end, the notch being configured to hold a fish hook.

9. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the longitudinal slots of the inner rod, the intermediate hollow cylinder, and the cord winding cylinder are rotatably alignable to form a continuous slot between a head end and a tail end of the knot tying device, the continuous slot being sized and shaped to allow a cord to pass through the slot and escape the knot tying device.

10. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the cord catch further includes a protrusion formed longitudinally on an outer diameter of the cord winding cylinder.

11. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the cord catch further includes an indentation extending longitudinally along the cord winding cylinder.