Suture passer with radiused upper jaw

• US 9,011,454 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Hendricksen, Michael J., Murillo, Michael, Bender, Christopher P., Hirotsuka, Mark Y., Saliman, Justin D., McCutcheon, John G., Jasso, Alexander, Anastas, George V., Mina, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Elizabeth
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, PHONG SON H
• Application Number:
  US14/265,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 606/30, 606/139, 606144-150, 606/86.R, 606/88, 606205-211, 606222-227
• US Class Current: 606/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• 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 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0625 the needle being specially adapted to interact with the manipulator, e.g. being ridged to snap fit in a hole of the manipulator A61B17/06109 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/88 Osteosynthesis instruments; Methods or means for implanting or extracting internal or external fixation devices A61B17/7074 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 with pre-tied sutures
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06047 located at the middle of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws

Abstract

Described herein are suture passers that may be used for repair of the meniscus of the knee. These suture passers typically include an elongate body having a pair of arms. One or more of the arms may be radiused at the distal end region relative to the long axis of the device, to better fit between a target tissue and a body non-target tissue (e.g., the curvature of the femoral condyle). The arms may form a distal-facing opening that is configured to fit the target tissue. One arm may be movable in the axial direction (e.g., the direction of the long axis of the device), while the other arm may be bendable. A tissue penetrator may be housed within one of the arms to extend across the distal opening between the arms. Thus, a suture may be passed from a first side of the tissue to a second side.

Claims

1. A suture passer device for passing a suture through a meniscus, the device comprising:

an elongate body having a length and extending distally and proximally along a long axis;

a first arm extending from the distal end of the elongate body,

a second arm extending distally from the elongate body, wherein an upper surface of the second arm extending from the elongate body to a distal end region of the second arm is concave and radiused and curves distally away from the long axis;

further wherein the first arm and the second arm form a distal-facing opening between the second arm and the first arm; and

a tissue penetrator configured to extend across the distal-facing opening between the first and second arms to pass a suture there between, wherein the tissue penetrator is housed within the first arm;

wherein the first arm is connected to the elongate body and is axially movable distally and proximally relative to the elongate body along the long axis.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first arm is configured to move axially in the long axis.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the second arm is radiused with a radius of curvature of between about 0.5 cm and about 20 cm.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a lower surface, opposite from the upper surface of the second arm, is less curved or un-curved than the upper surface of the second arm.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the second arm is radiused with a radius of curvature of between about 1 cm and about 10 cm.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second arm is pivotably attached to the distal end region of the elongate body.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the second arm that is opposite from the upper surface is less curved than the upper surface of the second arm.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the second arm that is opposite from the upper surface is less curved than the upper surface of the second arm so that the thickness of the second arm is thinner more proximally than distally.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the tissue penetrator is configured to releasably couple to the suture to carry the suture through a tissue.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the distal-facing opening is an acute-angled distal-facing opening configured to fit a meniscus therein.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the tissue penetrator comprises a shape memory alloy.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the tissue penetrator extends from a position completely within the first arm to extend across the distal-facing opening from the first arm to the second arm.

13. A suture passer device for passing a suture through a meniscus, the device comprising:

an elongate body extending distally and proximally along a long axis;

a first arm that extends from the elongate body and is axially movable distally and proximally relative to the elongate body along the long axis;

a second arm extending distally from the elongate body, wherein an upper surface of the second arm extending from the elongate body to a distal end region of the second arm is concave and radiused with a radius of curvature of between about 0.5 cm and about 20 cm and curves distally away from the long axis;

further wherein the first arm and the second arm form a distal-facing opening between the second arm and the first arm; and

a tissue penetrator configured to extend across the distal opening between the first and second arms to pass the suture there between;

wherein the tissue penetrator is housed within the first arm.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the second arm is pivotably attached to the distal end region of the elongate body.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the tissue penetrator is configured to releasably couple to the suture to carry the suture through a tissue.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the distal opening is an acute-angled distal-facing opening configured to fit a meniscus therein.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the tissue penetrator comprises a shape memory alloy.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the tissue penetrator extends from a position completely within the first arm as it extends across the distal opening from the first arm to the second arm.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the upper surface of the second arm is radiused with a radius of curvature of between about 1 cm and about 10 cm.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein a lower surface of the second arm that is opposite from the upper surface is less curved than the upper surface of the second arm.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein a lower surface of the second arm that is opposite from the upper surface is less curved than the upper surface of the second arm so that the thickness of the second arm is thinner more proximally than distally.

22. A suture passer device for passing a suture through the meniscus, the device comprising:

an elongate body having a length and extending distally and proximally along a long axis;

a first arm that is axially movable distally and proximally relative to the elongate body along the long axis,

a second arm extending distally from the elongate body, wherein an upper surface of the second arm extending from the elongate body to a distal end region of the second arm is concave and radiused with a radius of curvature of between about 0.5 cm and about 20 cm;

further wherein the second arm is pivotably attached to a distal end region of the elongate body and the first arm and second arm form a distal-facing opening between the distal region of the second arm and the distal region of the removable first arm when the removable first arm is extended distally; and

a tissue penetrator housed within the first arm that is configured to extend across the distal-facing opening to pass a suture there between.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the radius of curvature of the upper surface is between about 1 cm and about 10 cm.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the tissue penetrator is configured to releasably couple to the suture to carry the suture through a tissue.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the distal-facing opening is an acute-angled distal-facing opening configured to fit a meniscus therein.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the tissue penetrator comprises a shape memory alloy.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein a lower surface of the second arm that is opposite from the upper surface is less curved than the upper surface of the second arm so that the thickness of the second arm is thinner more proximally than distally.