Tissue clamp and implantation method

A surgical instrument for clamping a target structure, comprising:

• a clamp having a first jaw forming a first clamping surface, and a second jaw forming a second clamping surface that opposes the first clamping surface, the clamping surfaces including an inferior surface of the clamp cooperatively formed by the first and second jaws for resting on tissue to be clamped;
• a handle connecting the first and second jaws wherein the handle has a resilient bias that resiliently biases the first clamping surface and second clamping surface against each other into a substantially closed relationship for clamping the target structure;
• wherein the handle is movable to overcome the resilient bias and open the clamp by moving the first jaw and/or the second jaw to an open position while maintaining the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface in a substantially aligned orientation relative to one another;
• and
• a suture guide slot that extends through the first and second jaws to define a needle trajectory for placing a suture across an incision that is closed by the clamp, a clamp thickness tapering toward the clamping surfaces and the suture guide slot to minimize clamp thickness along the needle trajectory, the suture guide slot being an elongated opening that extends transversely through the first and second jaws a predetermined distance that corresponds to entrance and exit points of the suture placed across the incision.

A surgical instrument for clamping a target structure, comprising:

• a clamp having a first jaw forming a first clamping surface, and a second jaw forming a second clamping surface that opposes the first clamping surface, the clamping surfaces including an inferior surface of the clamp cooperatively formed by the first and second jaws for resting on tissue to be clamped, the first and second jaws including a superior surface opposite the inferior surface, the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface forming an aperture therebetween when disposed adjacent one another, the aperture extending from the superior surface to the inferior surface;
• a handle connecting the first and second jaws wherein the handle has a resilient bias that resiliently biases the first clamping surface and second clamping surface against each other into a substantially closed relationship for clamping the target structure;
• wherein the handle is movable to overcome the resilient bias and open the clamp by moving at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw to an open position while maintaining the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface in a substantially aligned orientation relative to one another, the handle including an arm portion and a leg portion, wherein the arm portion comprises first and second arms that are respectively connected to the first jaw and the second jaw, and the leg portion comprises first and second legs that join at a common apex of the leg portion with a resilient bias that resiliently biases the first clamping surface and second clamping surface against each other into a substantially closed relationship for clamping the target structure.