Suture fastening device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247938-B2
Application number	US-201213467333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2012
Priority date	May 10, 2011
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus is operable to secure suture fasteners to sutures to eliminate the need to tie knots in the sutures. The apparatus comprises a shaft, an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft, and a suture fastener removably secured to the end effector. The end effector may include a pivoting jaw or a suture cutter. The suture fastener may be secured to one, two, or more strands of suture. The apparatus may include several suture fasteners and may secure those fasteners to one or more sutures in a serial fashion without having to remove the apparatus from the patient for reloading. A plurality of fasteners may be arranged within the apparatus in an end-to-end configuration. The suture fastener may include an inner fastener member and an outer fastener member, and may capture one or more strands of suture between the inner and outer fastener members.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
(a) a shaft, wherein the shaft has a distal end;
(b) an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft; and
(c) a suture fastener removably secured to the end effector and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the end effector is operable to selectively secure the suture fastener to a suture, wherein the suture fastener is configured to prevent the suture from being pulled through tissue, wherein the suture fastener comprises:
(i) a first slit defining a first suture strand receiving feature; and
(ii) a second slit defining a second suture strand receiving feature,
wherein the first suture strand receiving feature is configured to receive and secure a first suture strand, wherein the second suture strand receiving feature is configured to receive and secure a second suture strand;
wherein the first and second slits extend perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis of the suture fastener.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft and end effector are both sized to fit through a trocar.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector further comprises a pivoting jaw operable to selectively grasp a suture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the end effector further comprises a fixed jaw, wherein the pivoting jaw is operable to pivot toward and away from the fixed jaw, wherein the suture fastener is disposed in the fixed jaw.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the fixed jaw includes an interior portion and an exterior portion, wherein the interior portion faces the pivoting jaw, wherein the suture fastener is disposed in interior portion of the fixed jaw.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector further comprises a cutting member operable to sever a suture.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises a plurality of suture fasteners, wherein the end effector is operable to serially secure the suture fasteners to one or more sutures.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of suture fasteners are arranged in an end-to-end configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a suture fastener holder holding a plurality of suture fasteners, wherein the suture fastener holder is separate from the end effector, wherein the end effector is operable to load suture fasteners from the suture fastener holder.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a suturing instrument, wherein the suturing instrument is operable to drive a needle and suture through tissue, wherein the suture fastener holder is attachable to the suturing instrument.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suture fastener further comprises an inner fastener member and an outer fastener member, wherein the outer fastener member defines a bore configured to receive the inner fastener member, wherein the suture fastener is configured to capture one or more strands of suture between the inner fastener member and the outer fastener member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the outer fastener member defines a lateral aperture configured to receive a strand of suture.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a cartridge removably secured to the end effector, wherein the cartridge releasably holds the inner fastener member and the outer fastener member.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector defines a slot configured to receive a strand of suture, wherein the end effector is operable to secure the suture fastener to a strand of suture positioned in the slot.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more actuators operable to deform at least a portion of the suture fastener to thereby secure the suture fastener to a strand of suture.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
(a) a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft has a distal end;
(b) an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft; and
(c) a plurality of suture fasteners disposed in one or both of the shaft or the end effector in an end-to-end configuration, wherein the plurality of suture fasteners extend along an axis that is parallel to but offset from the longitudinal axis, wherein the end effector is operable to serially secure the suture fasteners to one or more sutures, wherein each suture fastener is configured to prevent an associated suture from being pulled through tissue, wherein each suture fastener includes a first suture receiving portion and a second suture receiving portion, wherein each suture receiving portion is configured to be sequentially secured to one or more sutures.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
(a) a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft has a distal end;
(b) an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft; and
(c) a suture fastener associated with the end effector, wherein the end effector is operable to selectively secure a first portion of suture to the suture fastener in a first stage of operation by inserting the first portion into a first opening of the suture fastener, wherein the end effector is further operable to selectively secure a second portion of suture to the suture fastener in a second stage of operation by inserting the second portion into a second opening in the suture fastener, wherein the suture fastener is configured to prevent the suture from being pulled through tissue;
wherein the suture fastener comprises an inner fastener member and an outer fastener member, wherein the outer fastener member defines a bore configured to receive the inner fastener member, wherein the suture fastener is configured to capture one or more strands of suture between the inner fastener member and the outer fastener member, wherein the inner fastener member is configured to translate in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Assignees

• Martin David T
• Woodard Jr James A
• Shurtleff Carl J
• Larson Kevin A
• Bookbinder Mark J
• Stammen John L
• Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc

Inventors

• Martin David T
• Woodard Jr James A
• Shurtleff Carl J
• Larson Kevin A
• Bookbinder Mark J
• Stammen John L

Classifications

• A61B2017/2926

  Details of heads or jaws · 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

• A61B17/062 Primary

  Needle manipulators · CPC title

• A61B17/0469

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