Method and apparatus for passing a suture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9398906-B2
Application number	US-201414221870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2014
Priority date	May 25, 2010
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A suture passing instrument includes an operation handle, a cannulated needle member, a suture pusher, a suture shuttle and a guide tube. The needle member has a curved end portion. The needle member has an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall defining a bore extending through the needle member for receiving a suture. The suture pusher is movable within the needle member from a retracted position to an extended position. The suture shuttle has at least one bead and is loaded into the bore cannulated needle and movable along the bore by the suture pusher. The guide tube has a body telescopically receiving a retriever loop. The loop is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. A suture can be moved by the suture pusher and captured by the retriever loop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suture passing instrument comprising:
an operation handle having an actuator movable between a first position and a second position;
a cannulated needle member extending from the operation handle and having a curved end portion, the cannulated needle member having an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall defining a bore extending through the needle member for use in delivering a suture;
a suture pusher movable within the needle member from a pusher retracted position to a pusher extended position;
a suture shuttle configured to be loaded into the bore of the cannulated needle and operable to be coupled to the suture, the suture shuttle having at least one bead and movable along the bore by the suture pusher; and
a guide tube having a guide tube body adapted to telescopically receive a retriever loop at a distal end thereof, wherein the retriever loop is movable between a loop retracted position and a loop extended position outside the guide tube, wherein upon moving the suture pusher from the pusher retracted position to the pusher extended position, the suture shuttle and the suture can be moved by the suture pusher, and wherein the suture shuttle is configured such that upon moving the retriever loop from a loop retracted position to a loop extended position the suture can be captured by the retriever loop outside the guide tube.

2. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the curved end portion is one of a right helix curve, a left helix curve, or a linear curve.

3. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the suture is captured by the retriever loop upon the retriever loop being retracted about the at least one bead.

4. The suture passing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the at least one bead is one of a deformable metal and a polymer.

5. The suture passing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the suture shuttle defines one of a retaining loop, a hook, a jaw, and a grasper for fixedly securing to the suture.

6. The suture passing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the suture pusher engages the suture shuttle when in the pusher extended position.

7. The suture passing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the cannulated needle includes an elongated slot extending from an end face of the cannulated needle and communicating with the bore.

8. The suture passing instrument of claim 7 , wherein the slot is formed in the curved end portion and extends transversely from the end face for a predetermined length from the inner sidewall to the outer sidewall.

9. The suture passing instrument of claim 7 , wherein the slot includes a widened end for transversely receiving the suture shuttle.

10. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the guide tube body movably receives a guide tube extension member for guiding the retriever loop, the guide tube extension member being formed from a rigid material for guiding placement of the retriever loop.

11. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the retriever loop is biased open when in the loop extended position.

12. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the actuator further comprises a first member operable for actuating the suture pusher between the pusher retracted and extended positions, and a second member operable for actuating the retriever loop between the loop retracted and extended positions.

13. The suture passing instrument of claim 1 , wherein a slider mechanism is disposed within the operation handle, the slider mechanism further comprising:
first and second slides axially movable along a pair of corresponding channels defined by the operation handle;
a third slide axially movable within the operation handle; and
a translation member in communication with at least one of the first and second slides for moving the retriever loop between the loop retracted and extended positions.

14. A method for passing a suture through a tissue with a suture passing instrument having a cannulated needle member and a guide tube, the method comprising:
inserting an end portion of the cannulated needle member through the tissue;
rotating an operation handle while advancing the needle member through the tissue;
moving a retriever loop through and outside the guide tube over the end portion of the needle member;
extending a suture pusher located within the cannulated needle member to move a suture shuttle having at least one bead and carrying a suture from the needle member and capture the suture with the retriever loop outside the guide tube;
retracting the retriever loop to pull the suture through the tissue; and
removing the needle member from the tissue.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bead is a deformable bead.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
loading the at least one bead into the cannulated needle member through a widened portion of an elongated slot extending transversely from an end face of the cannulated needle member.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
loading the at least one bead into the cannulated needle member through an end face of the cannulated needle member.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein extending the suture pusher further comprises capturing the suture shuttle with the retriever loop.

19. The method of claim 14 ; further comprising:
deploying a guide tube extension member before deploying the retriever loop, wherein the retriever loop is telescopically received within the guide tube extension member and the guide tube extension member is telescopically received within the guide tube.

20. A method for passing a suture through a tissue with a suture passing instrument having a cannulated needle member and a guide tube, the method comprising:
securing a suture to a suture shuttle having at least one bead;
loading the suture shuttle into a bore of the cannulated needle member;
inserting a curved end portion of the cannulated needle member through the tissue;
advancing the cannulated needle member through the tissue;
moving a retriever loop through and outside the guide tube over the curved end portion of the needle member;
extending a suture pusher located within the cannulated needle member to move the suture shuttle and the suture from the needle member and capture the suture with the retriever loop outside the guide tube;
retracting the retriever loop to pull the suture; and
removing the needle member from the tissue.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
passing the at least one bead into the cannulated needle member through an end face of the cannulated needle member.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
passing the at least one bead into the cannulated needle member through a widened portion of an elongated slot extending transversely from an end face of the cannulated needle member.

Assignees

• Biomet Sports Medicine Llc

Inventors

• Stone Kevin T
• Palese Christopher
• Sinnott Mary
• Ewer Darin

Classifications

• A61B17/0482 Primary

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

• A61B2017/06076

  helically or spirally coiled · CPC title

• A61B17/06109

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

• A61B2017/06052

  Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle · CPC title

• A61B2017/06176

  with protrusions, e.g. barbs · CPC title