Movable suturing apparatus and method

A system comprising:

• a drive mechanism including:
• a housing;
• a motor supported by the housing;
• a support shaft including an elongated body extending from the housing;
• and
• a drive member coupled with the motor and supported by the shaft while extending a length of the elongate body, the drive member being configured to convey rotational force from the motor;
• and
• a suture cartridge including:
• a helically-shaped needle having a first helical radius, the needle having a shaft and drawing a filament from a trailing end;
• two generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers configured to engage therebetween the shaft of the needle, a first roller of the two generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers having a roller radius that is less than the helical radius of the needle to enable the needle to revolve around the first roller to pierce a body disposed adjacent the first roller and to draw the filament through the body, wherein one of the two generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers includes a correcting recess disposed at a forward end of a groove to guide the helically-shaped needle into the groove;
• and
• a frame configured to counter-rotatably support the rollers and including:
• a support coupling configured to detachably receive a shaft coupling on a distal end of the support shaft;
• and
• a drive coupling configured to receive a rotational force from the drive member to convey the rotation force to at least one of the two generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers.

A method comprising:

• engaging a suture cartridge with a motor drive, the suture cartridge supporting a pair of generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers rotatably engaging a shaft of a helically-shaped needle therebetween, the needle being rotatable around a first non-grooved roller and the needle being guided into a groove in a second grooved roller by a correcting recess disposed at a forward end of the groove;
• positioning the first non-grooved roller of the pair of generally-parallel rollers adjacent to a body and the second grooved roller of the pair of generally-parallel counter-rotating rollers adjacent the first non-grooved roller and opposite a body;
• and
• providing an input to the motor drive, wherein the input causes the motor drive to so as to cause the pair of generally-parallel rollers to rotate so as to cause the needle to complete at least one revolution to form a single suture, wherein the motor drive transmits rotation to one roller via a drive coupling on a roller shaft.