# US 10,765,420 B2 · Suture passer

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- Number: US 10,765,420 B2
- Document ID: US10765420B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/306,406
- Filed: 2015-04-24
- Published: 2017-02-16
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-04-24
- Assignees: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
- Applicants: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
- Inventors: Richard M. Lunn; Paul Alexander Torrie; Timothy Young; John Albert Slusarz, Jr.; Geoffrey Ian Karasic; Amanda Simard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765420B2

## CPC

- A61B 17/0469: {Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery}
- A61B 17/0483: {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)}
- A61B 17/06004: {Means for attaching suture to needle (tipping A61B17/06195)}
- A61B 17/06109: {Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle}
- A61B 17/0485: {Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet}
- A61B 2017/00115: {with audible or visual output}
- A61B 2017/06009: {having additional means for releasably clamping the suture to the needle, e.g. actuating rod slideable within the needle}
- A61B 2017/06042: {located close to needle tip}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a surgical instrument for manipulating suture. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an instrument for passing suture through tissue. There is described a surgical instrument having a shaft and a handle connected to the proximal end of the shaft. The shaft is formed from a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, with a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a tip distal to the tubular member. The shaft also includes a distal portion having an opening in a sidewall, proximal to the tip. The opening is in communication with the lumen through a side channel. The instrument further includes a suture snare, the snare being slidably receivable within the lumen and side channel, and movable between extended and retracted positions for capturing suture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surgical instrument comprising:
a shaft, comprising a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a tip distal to the tubular member, the tip including a recess defining a trough cutout into a sidewall of the shaft, the trough having a first width defined by two diagonal sidewalls cut into the sidewall of the shaft to define a bottom of the trough and an area where a portion of the shaft sidewall is missing, the diagonal sidewalls running parallel to a length of the shaft; and
a handle connected to the proximal end of the shaft;
wherein the shaft includes a distal portion having an opening in the sidewall thereof, proximal to the tip, the opening in communication with the lumen through a slot in the sidewall adjacent to the opening, the slot having sidewalls forming a second width in a circumference of the sidewall of the shaft;
wherein the instrument further comprises a suture snare, the snare being slidably receivable within the lumen and the slot, and movable through the slot between extended and retracted positions for capturing the suture, the snare including a pre-bend; and
wherein the first width and the second width each have a narrow tolerance relative to the snare and the bottom of the trough is on a distal side of the shaft and the slot is on a proximal side of the shaft, the proximal side being opposite the distal side with respect to the circumference of the shaft to bias the pre-bend of the snare to remain in a plane with the sidewalls of the slot and the sidewalls of the recess to prevent the snare from rotating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the shaft is curved.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An instrument according to claim 2, wherein the opening is located on an outside diameter of the distal portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the snare includes a distal hook.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An instrument according to claim 4, wherein the recess is adjacent to and distal of the opening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

An instrument according to claim 5, wherein the recess houses the distal hook when the suture snare is in the retracted position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the suture snare is further configured to pass through the slot in the extended position to capture the suture.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the lumen has a stepped inner diameter and includes two or more sections having different diameters.