# US 12,213,664 B2 · Pre-tied surgical knots for use with suture passers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,213,664 B2 - Document ID: US12213664B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/142,449 - Filed: 2021-01-06 - Published: 2021-07-01 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-07 - Assignees: Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc. - Applicants: Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc. - Inventors: Mark Y. Hirotsuka; Michael Murillo; Yoav Ben-Haim; Justin D. Saliman; Christopher P. Bender; Michael J. Hendricksen; Victoria C. Quitugua; Sarah-Marie Chan; Jennifer B. Fasman; Stephen J. Peter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213664B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/0482: {Needle or suture guides (guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; guides for puncturing needles A61B17/3403)} - A61B 17/04: for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials - A61B 17/0401: {Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors (A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811)} - 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 17/0625: {the needle being specially adapted to interact with the manipulator, e.g. being ridged to snap fit in a hole of the manipulator (A61B17/06109 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/0474: {Knot pushers} - A61B 2017/0477: {with pre-tied sutures} - A61B 2017/0496: {for tensioning sutures} - A61B 2017/06042: {located close to needle tip} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Sutures with pre-tied knots for use in percutaneous surgical procedures and devices for easily and quickly tying complex suture knots are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of arthroscopically repairing a tissue using a suture passer and a flexible member, the suture passer including a handle end and a distal working end and the flexible member having a pre-tied knot, with a first limb and a second limb extending from the pre-tied knot, the pre-tied knot operatively engaged around a shuttle, the suture passer including a tissue penetrator that axially slides and selectively engages and disengages the first limb and also selectively engages and disengages a loop end of the shuttle, the method comprising: passing the first limb through the tissue by axially sliding the tissue penetrator; passing the loop end of the shuttle through the tissue by axially sliding the tissue penetrator; passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot; and cinching the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein cinching the pre-tied knot comprises applying tension to the second limb. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein passing the first limb through the tissue comprises passing the first limb from a first external surface through to a second external surface of the tissue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-tied knot is wrapped around an outer circumferential surface of the shuttle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising snaring the first limb with the loop end of the shuttle, before passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the shuttle is a suture. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising passing the first limb through the tissue at a first location with the tissue penetrator and passing the loop end of the shuttle through the tissue at a second location, spaced away from the first location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein before passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot, coupling the first limb to the shuttle loop end and then pulling the shuttle to draw the first limb through the tissue again. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein passing the first limb comprises passing the first limb at a first location from a first external surface of the tissue to a second external surface of the tissue and wherein drawing the first limb through the tissue again comprises drawing the first limb from the second external surface to the first external surface through the tissue at a second location. ### Claim 10 A method of arthroscopically repairing a tissue using a suture passer assembled to a flexible member and a shuttle, the suture passer including a handle end and a distal working end and the flexible member having a pre-tied knot, with a first limb and a second limb extending from the pre-tied knot, the pre-tied knot operatively engaged around the shuttle, the suture passer including a tissue penetrator that axially slides to both selectively engage and disengage the first limb and a loop end of the shuttle, the method comprising: passing the first limb through the tissue by axially sliding the tissue penetrator; passing the loop end of the shuttle through the tissue by axially sliding the tissue penetrator; snaring the first limb with the loop end of the shuttle; using the shuttle, passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot; and cinching the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising removing the shuttle and flexible member from the suture passer before passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the first limb is snared with the loop end of the shuttle before passing the first limb through the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the shuttle has a first cross section segment that extends through the pre-tied knot, the first cross section segment configured to hold the pre-tied knot in an open configuration while the first limb and shuttle loop end are being passed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising passing the first limb through the tissue at a first location and passing the loop end of the shuttle through the tissue at a second location, spaced away from the first location. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein after snaring the first limb with the loop end of the shuttle, pulling the shuttle to draw the first limb through the tissue again at the second location. ### Claim 16 A method of arthroscopically repairing a tissue using a suture passer assembled to a flexible member and a shuttle, the suture passer including a handle end and a distal working end and the flexible member having a pre-tied knot, with a first limb and a second limb extending from the pre-tied knot, the pre-tied knot operatively engaged around the shuttle, the suture passer including a first and second jaw member for engaging the tissue, the first jaw member having a tissue penetrator that axially slides to selectively engage and disengage both the first limb and the shuttle, the method comprising: passing the first limb from the first jaw member, through the tissue and into the second jaw member with the tissue penetrator; passing the shuttle from the first jaw member, through the tissue and into the second jaw member with the tissue penetrator; drawing the first limb through the pre-tied knot with the shuttle; and cinching the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising snaring the first limb with an end of the shuttle, before drawing the first limb through the pre-tied knot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising passing the first limb through the tissue at a first location, and then moving the first and second jaw members along the tissue to pass the shuttle through the tissue at a second location, spaced away from the first location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein before drawing the first limb through the pre-tied knot, snaring the first limb with the shuttle and then pulling the shuttle to draw the first limb through the tissue at the second location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising removing the shuttle and flexible member from the suture passer before drawing the first limb through the pre-tied knot.