Systems, devices and methods of using needle sheaths for passing curved, superelastic suture needles through trocars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229430-B2
Application number	US-201916535383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A needle sheath includes a tubular shaft having a chamfered edge at a distal end thereof. A stop flange is secured to a proximal end of the tubular shaft. A needle relief slot is formed in a bottom side of the tubular shaft. The needle relief slot has a length that extends along an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft. A needle point slot formed in a top side of the tubular shaft. The needle point slot has a length that extends along an axis that is perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft and the needle relief slot axis. A suture needle is disposed within the tubular shaft of the needle sheath. The suture needle has a curved body that passes through the needle relief slot and a needle point captured within the needle point slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A needle sheath comprising:
a tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis that extends from the proximal end to the distal end of said tubular shaft, wherein said tubular shaft is hollow and includes a proximal opening located at the proximal end of said tubular shaft, a distal opening located at the distal end of said tubular shaft, and an elongated conduit that extends between the proximal and distal openings:
a stop flange secured to the proximal end of said tubular shaft;
the distal end of said tubular shaft including a chamfered edge located on a bottom side of said tubular shaft;
a needle relief slot formed in the bottom side of said tubular shaft, said needle relief slot being proximal to said chamfered edge and having a length that extends along an axis that is parallel with the longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft;
a needle point slot formed in a top side of said tubular shaft, wherein said needle point slot opposes said needle relief slot formed in the bottom side of said tubular shaft.

2. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the axis of said needle relief slot intersects with said chamfered edge of said tubular shaft.

3. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said needle point slot is distal to said needle relief slot.

4. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said needle point slot has a length that extends along an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft.

5. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tubular shaft comprises a cylindrical shaped outer wall defining inner and outer surfaces, and wherein said needle relief slot is formed in said cylindrical shaped outer wall and extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of said cylindrical shaped outer wall.

6. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said needle point slot is formed in said cylindrical shaped outer wall and extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of said cylindrical shaped outer wall.

7. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a suture needle disposed within said tubular shaft, wherein said suture needle has a curved body disposed within said needle relief slot and a needle point disposed in said needle point slot.

8. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said curved body of said suture needle extends outside said tubular shaft, and wherein said suture needle defines a first height that is greater than a cross-sectional diameter of said tubular shaft of said needle sheath.

9. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said suture needle comprises a superelastic material that enables said curved body of said suture needle to transform from a curved configuration having the first height to a flatter configuration having a second height that is less than the first height and that is less than an inner diameter of said tubular shaft of said needle sheath.

10. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a suture thread secured to a proximal end of said suture needle.

11. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a needle driver disposed within said elongated conduit of said tubular shaft of said needle sheath, wherein said needle driver comprises clamping jaws in contact with at least one of said suture needle and said suture thread secured to the proximal end of said suture needle.

12. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tubular shaft has an outer diameter, and wherein said stop flange has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of said tubular shaft.

13. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said needle sheath comprises durable, biocompatible materials selected from the group consisting of polymers, metals, and stainless steel.

14. A needle sheath comprising:
a tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end with a chamfered edge, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal and distal ends of said tubular shaft;
a flange secured to the proximal end of said tubular shaft having an outer dimension that is greater than a cross-sectional diameter of said tubular shaft;
a needle relief slot formed in a bottom side of said tubular shaft, wherein said needle relief slot has a length that extends along a needle relief slot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft and that passes through said chamfered edge:
a needle point slot formed in a top side of said tubular shaft that is distal to said needle relief slot, wherein said needle point slot has a length that extends along a needle point slot axis that is perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft and the needle relief slot axis of said needle relief slot.

15. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a suture needle disposed within said tubular shaft of said needle sheath, wherein said suture needle has a curved body disposed within said needle relief slot and a needle point disposed in said needle point slot.

16. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said curved body of said suture needle passes through said needle relief slot for extending outside said tubular shaft of said needle sheath, and wherein said curved body of said suture needle defines a first height that is greater than the cross-sectional diameter of said tubular shaft.

17. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said suture needle comprises a superelastic material that enables said suture needle to transform from a curved configuration having the first height to a flatter configuration having a second height that is less than the first height, wherein the second height is less than or equal to an inner diameter of said tubular shaft of said needle sheath.

18. The needle sheath as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:
a suture thread secured to a proximal end of said suture needle; and
a needle driver disposed within said tubular shaft of said needle sheath, wherein said needle driver comprises clamping jaws in contact with at least one of said suture needle and said suture thread secured to the proximal end of said suture needle.

19. A surgical tool for introducing and removing a suture needle from a surgical cavity comprising:
a tubular shaft having a proximal end with a proximal opening, a distal end with a distal opening, and a longitudinal axis that extends from the proximal end to the distal end of said tubular shaft;
the distal end of said tubular shaft including a chamfered edge located on a bottom side of said tubular shaft;
a needle relief slot formed in the bottom side of said tubular shaft, said needle relief slot being proximal to said chamfered edge and having a length that extends along an axis that is parallel with the longitudinal axis of said tubular shaft:
a suture needle stop formed in a top side of said tubular shaft for preventing uncontrolled release of said suture needle from the distal opening at the distal end of said tubular shaft, wherein said suture needle stop is formed in an inner surface of said tubular shaft and opposes said chamfered edge of said tubular shaft, and wherein said needle point stop is distal to said needle relief slot.

20. The surgical tool as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said surgical tool is selected from the group of surgical tools consisting of trocars and needle sheaths.

21. The surgical tool as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said suture needle stop formed i

Assignees

• Ethicon Inc

Inventors

• Souls Doug
• Vailhe Christophe
• Cannara Alexander M
• Elmouelhi Noha

Classifications

• A61B17/0469 Primary

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

• A61B17/0482 Primary

  Needle or suture guides (guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; guides for puncturing needles A61B17/3403) · CPC title

• A61B17/06066

  Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations · CPC title

• A61B17/3421

  Cannulas · CPC title

• A61B17/3417

  Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating (syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00) · CPC title