Suture passer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10765420-B2
Application number	US-201515306406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 24, 2014
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a surgical instrument for manipulating suture. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an instrument for passing suture through tissue. There is described a surgical instrument having a shaft and a handle connected to the proximal end of the shaft. The shaft is formed from a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, with a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a tip distal to the tubular member. The shaft also includes a distal portion having an opening in a sidewall, proximal to the tip. The opening is in communication with the lumen through a side channel. The instrument further includes a suture snare, the snare being slidably receivable within the lumen and side channel, and movable between extended and retracted positions for capturing suture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising:
a shaft, comprising a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a tip distal to the tubular member, the tip including a recess defining a trough cutout into a sidewall of the shaft, the trough having a first width defined by two diagonal sidewalls cut into the sidewall of the shaft to define a bottom of the trough and an area where a portion of the shaft sidewall is missing, the diagonal sidewalls running parallel to a length of the shaft; and
a handle connected to the proximal end of the shaft;
wherein the shaft includes a distal portion having an opening in the sidewall thereof, proximal to the tip, the opening in communication with the lumen through a slot in the sidewall adjacent to the opening, the slot having sidewalls forming a second width in a circumference of the sidewall of the shaft;
wherein the instrument further comprises a suture snare, the snare being slidably receivable within the lumen and the slot, and movable through the slot between extended and retracted positions for capturing the suture, the snare including a pre-bend; and
wherein the first width and the second width each have a narrow tolerance relative to the snare and the bottom of the trough is on a distal side of the shaft and the slot is on a proximal side of the shaft, the proximal side being opposite the distal side with respect to the circumference of the shaft to bias the pre-bend of the snare to remain in a plane with the sidewalls of the slot and the sidewalls of the recess to prevent the snare from rotating.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the shaft is curved.

3. An instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the opening is located on an outside diameter of the distal portion.

4. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the snare includes a distal hook.

5. An instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the recess is adjacent to and distal of the opening.

6. An instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the recess houses the distal hook when the suture snare is in the retracted position.

7. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the suture snare is further configured to pass through the slot in the extended position to capture the suture.

8. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the lumen has a stepped inner diameter and includes two or more sections having different diameters.

Assignees

• Smith & Nephew Inc

Inventors

• Lunn Richard M
• Torrie Paul Alexander
• Young Timothy
• Slusarz Jr John Albert
• Karasic Geoffrey Ian
• Simard Amanda

Classifications

• A61B17/06109

  Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle · CPC title

• A61B17/0485

  Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet · CPC title

• A61B17/0469 Primary

  Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery · CPC title

• A61B17/0483

  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 title

• A61B17/06004

  Means for attaching suture to needle (tipping A61B17/06195) · CPC title