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US 10,238,381 B1Granted
Automated needle loader
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsDavid T. Martin, Benjamin D. Dickerson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for loading suture needles into a surgical instrument comprises a body, a first movable member, an engagement feature, and a needle. The body has a channel configured to receive a surgical instrument. The engagement feature is configured to open a cover of a surgical instrument upon insertion of a surgical instrument into the channel of the body. The first movable member is configured to deliver the suture needle to a surgical instrument after a surgical instrument has been inserted into the channel and the cover has been opened. The apparatus may further comprise a second movable member configured to facilitate delivery of the needle to a surgical instrument in conjunction with the first movable member.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a body including:
- (i) a body channel extending therethrough to a distal end, the body channel configured to receive a surgical instrument,
- (ii) a hole in communication with the body channel, and
- (iii) an engagement feature extending into the body channel, the engagement feature configured to engage a movable cover of the surgical instrument and direct movement of the movable cover of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is received within the body channel for uncovering a needle channel of the surgical instrument;
- (b) a needle releasably secured relative to the body within the hole;
- and
- (c) a drive member positioned in the body and extending into the body channel, the drive member configured to selectively move from a first drive position to a second drive position upon receiving the surgical instrument thereagainst, wherein selectively moving the drive member from the first drive position toward the second drive position is configured to release the needle from the hole and into the body channel for inserting the needle into the needle channel of the surgical instrument received within the body channel.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a body including:
- (i) a body channel extending therethrough to a distal end, the body channel configured to receive a surgical instrument,
- (ii) a hole in communication with the body channel, wherein the hole is configured to have a needle releasably secured therein, and
- (iii) an engagement feature extending into the body channel, the engagement feature configured to engage a movable cover of the surgical instrument and direct movement of the movable cover of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is received within the body channel for uncovering a needle channel of the surgical instrument;
- and
- (b) a drive member positioned in the body and extending into the body channel, the drive member configured to selectively move from a first drive position to a second drive position upon receiving the surgical instrument thereagainst, wherein selectively moving the drive member from the first drive position toward the second drive position releases the needle from the hole into the body channel and inserts the needle into the needle channel of the surgical instrument received within the body channel.
3 more elements
A method of inserting a needle into a needle channel of a surgical instrument with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises (a) a body including:
- (i) a body channel extending therethrough to a distal end, the body channel configured to receive a surgical instrument, (ii) a hole in communication with the body channel, and (iii) an engagement feature extending into the body channel, the engagement feature configured to engage a movable cover of the surgical instrument and direct movement of the movable cover of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is received within the body channel for uncovering a needle channel of the surgical instrument;
- (b) a needle releasably secured relative to the body within the hole;
- and (c) a drive member positioned in the body and extending into the body channel, the drive member configured to selectively move from a first drive position to a second drive position upon receiving the surgical instrument thereagainst, wherein selectively moving the drive member from the first drive position toward the second drive position is configured to release the needle from the hole and into the body channel for inserting the needle into the needle channel of the surgical instrument received within the body channel, the method comprising:
- (a) inserting the surgical instrument along a longitudinal axis into the body channel of the body;
- (b) engaging the engagement feature positioned within the body against the cover of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument moves distally along the longitudinal axis such that the engagement feature directs the cover proximally relative to a remainder of the surgical instrument thereby uncovering the needle channel;
- (c) aligning the hole within the body with the uncovered needle channel, wherein the hole has the needle releasably secured therein;
- and
- (b) moving the drive member distally from the first drive position toward the second drive position with the surgical instrument thereby releasing the needle from the hole and into the needle channel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.