초록 ▼

An instrument for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle includes a housing, an elongate tubular member mounted by the housing, a needle driver having a distal end movable between an undeployed position disposed laterally inward of a peripheral edge of the elongate tubular member and a depl

An instrument for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle includes a housing, an elongate tubular member mounted by the housing, a needle driver having a distal end movable between an undeployed position disposed laterally inward of a peripheral edge of the elongate tubular member and a deployed position disposed laterally outward of the peripheral edge, and a needle catcher having a distal end movable between an undeployed position disposed laterally inward of the peripheral edge of the elongate tubular member and a deployed position disposed laterally outward of the peripheral edge. At least one of the needle driver and the needle catcher is coupled with the housing for arcuate movement about a longitudinal axis of the elongate tubular member such that a corresponding distal end of the needle holder is caused to move along an arcuate path having a radius of curvature greater than a radial dimension of the elongate tubular member. In addition, the respective distal ends of the needle driver and the needle catcher are operable to grasp and release the suture needle so that, when the needle driver and the needle catcher are in deployed positions, a suture needle having a radius of curvature commensurate with the radius of curvature of the arcuate path can be driven through anatomical tissue using a distal end of the needle driver and can be subsequently passed to the distal end of the needle catcher to be pulled through the anatomical tissue.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An instrument for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle, said suturing instrument comprisingan elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end with a peripheral edge;a handle coupled to said proximal end;a driver arm extending from said distal end

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An instrument for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle, said suturing instrument comprisingan elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end with a peripheral edge;a handle coupled to said proximal end;a driver arm extending from said distal end of said elongate tubular member and having a needle grasping portion, said driver arm being movable between an undeployed position where said needle grasping portion of said driver arm is disposed laterally inward of said peripheral edge of said elongate tubular member and a deployed position where said needle grasping portion of said driver arm is disposed laterally outward of said peripheral edge; anda catcher arm extending from said distal end of said elongate tubular member and having a needle grasping portion, said catcher arm being movable between an undeployed position where said needle grasping portion of said catcher arm is disposed laterally inward of said peripheral edge of said elongate tubular member and a deployed position where said needle grasping portion of said catcher arm is disposed laterally outward of said peripheral edge;at least one of said driver arm and said catcher arm being mounted for arcuate movement about a longitudinal axis of said elongate tubular member such that a corresponding needle grasping portion of said at least one of said driver arm and catcher arm is caused to move along an arcuate path having a radius of curvature greater than the distance between said longitudinal axis and said peripheral edge of said elongate tubular member;wherein said needle grasping portions are operable to grasp and release a suture needle so that, when said driver arm and said catcher arm are in said deployed positions, a suture needle having a radius of curvature commensurate with said radius of curvature of said arcuate path can be driven through the anatomical tissue using said driver arm and subsequently transferred to said catcher arm to be pulled through the anatomical tissue.