Surgical cannula with closure guides

Abstract

The distal portion of a tissue-penetrating device includes a structure to guide a closure device associated with closing the tissue layer while the device remains in position, prior to removal of the device. The proximal portion of the device includes a visual and/or tactile indication corresponding to the guide structure. The guide structure may include a plurality of passageways such as slits or gaps to pass a suture, for example. The device may assume the shape of a conventional cylindrical cannula having inner and outer diameters defining a cylindrical wall, in which case the guide structure may include a plurality of passageways in the wall. The cannula may have any gauge associated with any surgical procedure, including procedures involving large wounds or incisions, and microsurgical procedures involving minute punctures, including vitrectomies.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.