Magnet-assisted suture grasper comprising a suture retrieval needle, a retriever body, a grasper wire, a grasper arm, and a grasper magnet

A magnet-assisted suture grasper for grasping a magnetic suture comprising:

• (a) a suture retrieval needle comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a needle body extending therebetween, the needle body defining a needle body axis between the proximal and distal ends of the suture retrieval needle, the needle body having a proximal hole, a distal hole, and a needle lumen extending therebetween along the needle body axis;
• (b) a retriever body disposed within the needle lumen and translatable therein along the needle body axis;
• (c) a grasper wire having a proximal end and a distal end and being fixedly disposed within the retriever body;
• (d) a grasper arm comprising a proximal end, a proximal-to-intermediate portion, a distal portion, and a distal end, the grasper arm extending from the distal end of the grasper wire and being reversibly movable between a first position and a second position;
• and
• (e) a grasper magnet being disposed adjacent the proximal-to-intermediate portion of the grasper arm, the magnet-assisted suture grasper sequestering the grasper magnet within the needle lumen when the grasper arm is in the first position and exposing the grasper magnet from the needle lumen when the grasper arm is in the second position, wherein:
• the distal end of the grasper arm extends further distally than the grasper magnet,
• translation of the retriever body within the needle lumen in a first direction along the needle body axis causes the grasper arm to move from the first position to the second position, thereby exposing the grasper magnet and allowing contact between the grasper magnet and a magnetic suture attracted thereto, and
• translation of the retriever body within the needle lumen in a second direction opposite the first direction along the needle body axis causes the grasper arm to move from the second position to the first position, thereby sequestering the grasper magnet and grasping the magnetic suture within the needle lumen.