Handle for suturing apparatus

A suturing apparatus, comprising:

• an elongate body;
• an arm mounted to move relative to said elongate body, said arm having a suture mounting portion which mounts an end portion of a suture;
• a needle having a distal end, said needle mounted to move relative to said elongate body, said distal end of said needle movable;
• and
• a handle attached to said elongate body, said handle comprising an actuator and a follower connected to move said needle by an amount equal to movement of the follower;
• wherein the amount of movement of said follower is visible to the user, such that the amount of movement of the needle may be monitored without directly viewing the needle.

A suturing apparatus, comprising:

• an elongate body;
• an arm mounted to move relative to said elongate body, said arm having a suture mounting portion which mounts an end portion of a suture;
• a needle having a distal end, said needle mounted to move relative to said elongate body;
• and
• a handle attached to said elongate body, said handle comprising an actuator having a camming surface and a follower having a cammed surface, said follower connected to move said needle, such that movement of the follower in a distal direction drives the needle in a distal direction and movement of the follower in a proximal direction drives the needle in a proximal direction, said follower being spring biased towards a proximal direction, said actuator having a range of movement, said camming surface and cammed surface interacting to drive said follower in a distal direction during at least a substantial portion of said range of movement.

A method of applying suture to an opening, comprising:

• inserting an elongate body into the opening;
• extending at least one arm from the elongate body on a distal side of the opening, the at least one arm holding a suture portion;
• advancing at least one needle from the elongate body from the proximal side of the opening, through tissue adjacent the opening, and into engagement with the suture portion held by the at least one arm;
• and
• retracting the at least one needle in a distal to proximal direction, pulling the suture portion proximally through the opening;
• wherein the needle is advanced by moving an actuator from a first position to a second position and is biased to retract to its first position.

A method of applying suture to an opening, comprising:

• inserting an elongate body into the opening, the elongate body being connected to a handle having a plurality of actuators;
• depressing a first actuator to extend at least one arm from a first position to a second position, the arm in its second position extending from the elongate body on a distal side of the opening, the at least one arm holding a suture portion;
• depressing a second actuator to advance at least one needle from the elongate body from the proximal side of the opening, through tissue adjacent the opening, and into engagement with the suture portion held by the at least one arm;
• retracting the at least one needle in a distal to proximal direction, pulling the suture portion proximally through the opening;
• and
• retracting the arm to its first position.

A method of advancing a needle, comprising:

• providing an actuator capable of being depressed;
• providing a follower having an angled surface, the follower being connected with the needle and the angled surface being engageable with a surface of the actuator;
• and
• depressing the actuator to advance the needle, wherein the distance moved by the needle is proportional to the angle of the angled surface.

A method of closing an incision in a body, comprising:

• providing a suturing device having a handle portion and an elongate body, the elongate body having a distal end portion sized for insertion through a vessel wall, the suturing device having two deployable suture arms for holding ends of a suture and two extendable needles for grabbing the ends of the suture from the arms,
• advancing the elongate body through an incision in the vessel wall;
• depressing a first actuator on the handle portion for deploying the suture arms within the vessel;
• depressing a second actuator on the handle portion for extending the needles through the vessel wall for grabbing the ends of the suture from the suture arms;
• releasing the second actuator for withdrawing the needles and pulling the suture ends through the vessel wall;
• releasing the first actuator for retracting the suture arms;
• withdrawing the suturing device from the body;
• and
• tying the ends of the suture for closing the incision.