Suture passing surgical instrument
AssigneeOrthopaedic Biosystems Ltd., Inc.
InventorsLaird L. Hatch, James J. Sullivan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument includes first and second members configured to receive tissue therebetween. The first member is adapted to receive suture, the second member is coupled to the first member, and a grasper coupled to the second member engages the suture received by the first member. A method of passing suture includes loading suture into a first member of a suture passing surgical instrument, stabilizing tissue between the first member and a second member of the surgical instrument, passing suture through tissue via the first member of the surgical instrument, holding the passed suture via suture grasper of the surgical instrument, and removing the first member from the tissue.
Claims9
1-37. (canceled)
A needle adapted for use in a surgical suture device, comprising:
- a body having a generally straight, narrow and elongate configuration when in a rest state, with an axis thereof extending between a proximal end and a distal end;
- a sharp needle tip at the distal end of the body;
- and a slot configured to carry a suture therein located at or near the distal end of the body and proximal to the sharp needle tip, the body formed to enable a distal portion thereof, including the sharp needle tip and the slot, to bend on a curve to an angle relative to the axis, and subsequently return to the generally straight configuration, through the application of an axial force that is comparable in magnitude to that provided by a user's thumb.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.