Method and apparatus for treating a hip joint, including the provision and use of a novel suture passer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising:
- providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a distal jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle;
loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly;
releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw;
longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween;
advancing the inner needle and the outer needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and
retracting the inner needle and the outer needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith.
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Abstract
A suture passer including a shaft having an axis; a first jaw mounted to the shaft in alignment with the axis, the first jaw being configured to releasably support a length of suture thereon; a second jaw movably mounted to the shaft; and a needle movably mounted to the shaft, the needle having a hook and being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so that the hook can selectively pass by the second jaw and engage suture releasably supported on the first jaw; wherein the first jaw includes a spring for selectively binding the suture to the first jaw.
72 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising:
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providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a distal jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle; loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly; releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw; longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; advancing the inner needle and the outer needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and retracting the inner needle and the outer needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising:
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providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a first jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a second jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle; loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly; releasably supporting a length of suture on the first jaw by binding the suture to the first jaw; advancing the second jaw toward the first jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; advancing the inner needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the first jaw; and retracting the inner needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method for treating a hip joint, the method comprising:
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providing a suture passer, the suture passer comprising a tool assembly and a needle assembly; wherein the tool assembly comprises; a handle having a first feature and a second feature; an elongated shaft mounted to the handle and having an axis; a distal jaw mounted to a distal end of the elongated shaft in alignment with the axis, the distal jaw being configured to releasably support a length of suture thereon; and a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the proximal jaw being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so as to advance toward, and retract from, the distal jaw; wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising; an inner needle movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the inner needle having a hook and a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle, the inner needle being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so that the hook can selectively pass by the proximal jaw and engage the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being movably mounted to the elongated shaft; wherein the outer needle is concentrically disposed about the inner needle, with the inner needle being spring mounted to the outer needle; loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly; laying open the fibrous capsule of the hip joint; performing a procedure on the hip joint; longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; and closing the fibrous capsule by suturing the fibrous capsule with the suture passer.
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32. A method for treating a hip joint, the method comprising:
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providing a suture passer, the suture passer comprising a tool assembly and a needle assembly; wherein the tool assembly comprises; a handle having a first feature and a second feature; an elongated shaft mounted to the handle and having an axis; a first jaw mounted to a distal end of the elongated shaft in alignment with the axis, the first jaw being configured to releasably support a length of suture thereon; and a second jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft; wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle; wherein the inner needle is movably mounted to the elongated shaft, the inner needle having a hook and being configured to reciprocate in alignment with the axis so that the hook can selectively pass by the second jaw and engage suture releasably supported on the first jaw; wherein the first jaw is configured to selectively bind the suture to the first jaw; loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly; laying open the fibrous capsule of the hip joint; performing a procedure on the hip joint; advancing the second jaw toward the first jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; and closing the fibrous capsule by suturing the fibrous capsule with the suture passer.
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Specification