Automatic needle mover

An automatic needle mover for moving a medical threaded needle including a straight needle and a thread connected to the straight needle, the automatic needle mover comprising:

• two shafts extending in a same direction and slidable relative to each other along a longitudinal direction;
• a needle-holding portion provided on one end side of a first shaft as one of the two shafts;
• a needle-receiving portion provided on one end side of a second shaft as the other shaft of the two shafts;
• and
• a control portion for controlling the sliding of the two shafts, the control portion being provided on a side opposite the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion when viewed in the longitudinal direction,
• wherein the needle-holding portion has a first claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first shaft in an end portion of the first shaft and a first groove portion provided in the first claw portion and including a region having a width smaller than a diameter of the straight needle and larger than a diameter of the thread,
• the needle-receiving portion has a second claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the second shaft in an end portion of the second shaft and a second groove portion provided in the second claw portion and having a width at which the straight needle can be inserted by elasticity of the second claw portion and the straight needle can be held by friction with the straight needle when the straight needle is inserted along the longitudinal direction, and
• the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion become close to each other and the straight needle held by the needle-holding portion can be press-fitted into the needle-receiving portion as a result of the sliding of the two shafts.