Suturing instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931111-B2
Application number	US-201414262099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2006
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A suturing instrument includes a suturing head that is coupled to the shaft of an elongate body member of the instrument by a connector member which may be biased in either a linear orientation along the longitudinal axis of the shaft or any one of a variety of non-linear orientations with respect to the shaft's longitudinal axis. The connector member can comprise a resilient material such that an external force may be applied to the suturing head and move the suturing head from a biased orientation (e.g., linear) to an unbiased orientation (e.g., non-linear). Once the external force is removed, the resiliency of the connector member allows the suturing head to return from the unbiased orientation to the biased orientation. Therefore, a user may adjust the shape of the instrument by applying or removing an external force on the suturing head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suturing instrument comprising:
an elongate body member including a handle at a proximal portion and engaged to a suturing head at a distal portion by a connector member, the suturing head including a needle carrier and a needle catch, the suturing head being adjustable between a linear or substantially linear orientation relative to the elongate body member and a non-linear orientation relative to the elongate body member by application of an external force; the suturing head being biased to its non-linear orientation;
a needle partially disposed within a lumen defined by the needle carrier, the needle engaging a suture at a first end and including a tissue-penetrating tip at a second end; and
an actuator capable of delivering the needle from the needle carrier to the needle catch, wherein rotation of the actuator about a longitudinal axis of the elongate body member causes the suturing head to rotate, with respect to the elongate body member, about the longitudinal axis of the elongate body member; and
a trocar having a cannula defining a lumen, the suturing head and the connector member being retractable within the lumen such that:
the suturing head and the connector member are wholly disposed within the cannula; and
the suturing head is forced to its linear or substantially linear orientation by the cannula.

2. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the connector member comprises a spring.

3. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the connector member comprises a plurality of springs.

4. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the connector member comprises a polymer.

5. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the connector member comprises a flexible plastic.

6. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the connector member comprises a preformed non-linear spring.

7. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the trocar is a laparoscopic trocar.

8. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of needles.

9. The suturing instrument of claim 8 , wherein each needle engages a distinct suture thereby allowing for placement of a plurality of sutures prior to removal of the suturing instrument.

10. The suturing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the suturing head includes a curved portion defining a channel, a needle exit port, a needle compartment holding a plurality of needles including the needle, and a needle output slot, the curved portion defining a recess configured to receive bodily tissue, wherein the needle is configured to be released from the needle compartment via the needle output slot, and disposed within the channel to be engaged with the needle carrier.

11. A suturing instrument comprising an elongate body member including an actuator, and a trocar having a cannula defining a lumen, the elongate body member being engaged to a suturing head by a flexible connector member, the suturing head being movable independently of the elongate body member in response to an external force, the suturing head being biased to a non-linear orientation with respect to the elongate body member, the suturing head and the connector member being retractable within the lumen such that that the suturing head and the connector member are surrounded by the cannula, and the suturing head is forced to a linear or substantially linear orientation by the cannula, wherein:
rotation of the actuator about a longitudinal axis of the elongate body member causes the suturing head to rotate, with respect to the elongate body member, about the longitudinal axis of the elongate body member; and
distal movement of the actuator causes deployment of a needle included in the suturing head.

12. The suturing instrument of claim 11 , wherein the connector member comprises a spring.

13. The suturing instrument of claim 11 , wherein the connector member comprises a plurality of springs.

14. The suturing instrument of claim 11 , wherein the connector member comprises a flexible polymer.

15. The suturing instrument of claim 11 , further comprising a handle disposed at a proximal portion of the elongate body member.

16. The suturing instrument of claim 11 , wherein the suturing head includes a curved portion defining a channel, a needle exit port, a needle compartment holding a plurality of needles including the needle, and a needle output slot, the curved portion defining a recess configured to receive bodily tissue, the suturing head including a needle carrier, wherein the needle is configured to be released from the needle compartment via the needle output slot, and disposed within the channel to be engaged with the needle carrier.

17. A suturing instrument, comprising:
an elongate body member including an actuator, the elongate body member being coupled to a suturing head by a flexible connector member, the flexible connector member being biased such that the elongate body member is in a nonlinear orientation with respect to the suturing head, wherein rotation of the actuator about a longitudinal axis of the elongate body member causes the suturing head to rotate, with respect to the elongate body member, about the longitudinal axis of the elongate body member, the suturing head including a curved portion defining a channel, a needle exit port, a needle compartment holding a plurality of needles, and a needle output slot, the curved portion defining a recess configured to receive bodily tissue, the suturing head including a needle carrier disposed within the channel; and
a trocar having a cannula defining a lumen, the suturing head and the flexible connector member being retractable within the lumen such that the suturing head and the flexible connector member are wholly disposed within the cannula, the cannula comprising a material capable of applying an external force to the suturing instrument to produce a linear or substantially linear relationship between the suturing head and the elongate body member,
wherein a needle of the plurality of needles is configured to be released from the needle compartment via the needle output slot, and disposed within the channel to be engaged with the needle carrier, wherein distal movement of the actuator causes deployment of the needle carrier from a retracted position to an extended position.

18. The suturing instrument of claim 17 , wherein the flexible connector member comprises a spring.

19. The suturing instrument of claim 17 , wherein the flexible connector member comprises a plurality of springs.

20. The suturing instrument of claim 17 , wherein the flexible connector member comprises a flexible polymer.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc
• Boston Scient Scime Inc

Inventors

• Chu Michael S H
• Bialobrzeski Robert W

Classifications

• A61B2017/047

  having at least one proximally pointing needle located at the distal end of the instrument, e.g. for suturing trocar puncture wounds starting from inside the body · CPC title

• A61B17/0469 Primary

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

• A61B2017/0472

  Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments · CPC title

• A61B2017/2905

  flexible · CPC title

• A61B2017/2927

  the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft · CPC title