Suture delivery tools for endoscopic and robot-assisted surgery and methods

• US 9,955,962 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson), Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Avelar, Rui, Drubetsky, Lev, Naimagon, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): SHI, KATHERINE MENGLIN
• Application Number:
  US13/814,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 206 633, 206339, 206380, 606139, 606144, 606146, 606232
• 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 17/06128 Elongate cylinders, i.e. tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06142 having needle- or suture- retaining members, e.g. holding tabs or needle parks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/302 specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 abutting on tissue or skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A suture delivery tool releasably secures a self-retaining suture to permit delivery of the self-retaining suture to a surgical site in a patient through an access port. Suture delivery tools are disclosed suitable for manual operation and operation using robotically-assisted surgical systems. In some embodiments, a suture spool is part of a cartridge which is releasably attached to the suture delivery tool. Cartridges is, in some embodiments, replaced after deployment of the self-retaining suture and different cartridges having different self-retaining suture are, in some embodiments, selected and attached to the suture delivery tool as required for a procedure.

Claims

1. A suture dispenser, comprising:

a self-retaining suture having an elongated suture body with a first segment having a first plurality of retainers disposed proximally to a first end, and a second segment having a second plurality of retainers disposed proximally to a second end and first and second needles disposed at the first and second ends respectively;

an elongated shaft;

a spool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the spool comprising first and second needle docks adjacent to each other at a distal end thereof, the self-retaining suture being releasably secured to the spool and the first and second needles being releasably secured to one of the first and second needle docks respectively; and

an actuator attached to a proximal end of the elongated shaft by which the dispenser is manipulated to introduce the spool and distal end of the elongated shaft through an access port into a surgical site within a patient.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein:

the spool comprises a plurality of suture containment regions to segregate the retainers of the first segment from the retainers of the second segment.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein:

the spool is releasably coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft such that the spool is adapted to be replaced by a second spool.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein:

the dispenser is provided with a machine-readable code to identify a characteristic of the self-retaining suture.

5. The suture dispenser of claim 1 wherein:

said spool has a diameter about 12 mm or less.

6. The suture dispenser of claim 1 in combination with a telesurgical system.

7. The suture dispenser of claim 1 wherein said dispenser can accept and dispense a plurality of spools.

8. A suture dispenser, comprising:

a self-retaining suture having an elongated suture body with a first segment having a plurality of retainers disposed proximally to a first end, and a second segment having a plurality of retainers disposed proximally to a second end and first and second needles disposed at the first and second ends respectively;

an endoscopic tool comprising an elongated tube;

a suture cartridge positioned within a distal end of the elongated tube, the suture cartridge comprising first and second needle docks at a distal end thereof, the self-retaining suture being releasably secured to the suture cartridge and the first and second needles being releasably secured to one of the first and second needle docks respectively; and

an interface attached to a proximal end of the elongated shaft by which the dispenser is manipulated to introduce the distal end of the elongated shaft through an access port into a surgical site within a patient.