Suturing assembly and method

A tissue-suturing assembly comprising:

• a plurality of suturing staples, said staples each comprising two opposite legs coupled together at a central back area to have a substantial C-shape so that the legs can be moved toward one another to form a closable mouth, each of said legs including a tissue piercing tip for piercing and extending through pieces of tissue to be sutured, said staples being constructed of a bendable material for retaining said legs in a closed position once they have been moved together to the closed position;
• a plurality of cartridges each for holding a plurality of parallel adjacent, side-by-side, suturing staples with the parts of each staple being beside and aligned with the same respective parts of the other staples, the mouths of said staples opening outwardly to simultaneously receive a piece of tissue to be sutured without piercing said tissue, each said cartridges having movable opposite cartridge jaws including means for retaining opposite legs of staples therein prior to said cartridge jaws being forced together for closing said staples;
• an elongated pliers-like clamping tool separate from said cartridges having first and second crossed arms with plier handles at one end and first and second plier jaws at the other end, said first and second plier jaws being forced together in response to said first and second plier handles being forced together, said first and second plier jaws respectively including means for selectively engaging them to said first and second cartridge jaws for thereby allowing a physician to engage the opposite plier jaws to respective opposite cartridge jaws when said cartridge is fully loaded with a plurality of suturing staples for thereafter allowing said physician to manipulate said first and second plier handles so as to move said plurality of staples to a desired position, with said tissue to be sutured located in the mouths of said staples, for thereafter allowing said physician to force said first and second cartridge jaws together to drive said tissue piercing tips of said staple legs through said tissue and further bend said staples into closed positions to form loops on said tissue, and for thereafter allowing said physician to remove said cartridge from said plier jaws and attach a further loaded cartridge to the plier jaws for repeating this procedure;
• whereby pluralities of suturing staples can be quickly applied to pieces of tissue by sequentially mounting loaded cartridges on the jaws of the plier-like tool and using the plier-like tool to force the staple legs together on said tissue positioned in their mouths, for suturing the tissues.

A tissue-suturing assembly comprising:

• a plurality of suturing staples, said staples each comprising two opposite legs coupled together at a central back area to have a substantial C-shape so that the legs can be moved toward one another to form a closable mouth, each of said legs including a tissue piercing tip for piercing and extending through pieces of tissue to be sutured, said staples being constructed of a bondable material for retaining said legs in a closed position once they have been moved together to the closed position;
• a plurality of cartridges each for holding a plurality of parallel suturing staples with their central areas being approximately aligned along a central area of alignment with their mouths opening outwardly to apply said suturing staples to said pieces of tissues to be sutured, said cartridges having movable opposite cartridge jaws for retaining opposite staple legs of staples therein, said cartridges being made of a plastic material including indentations therein in which said staples are embedded for holding said staples in said cartridges;
• an elongated pliers-like clamping tool separate from said cartridges having first and second crossed arms with plier handles at one end and first and second plier jaws at the other end, said first and second plier jaws being forced together in response to said first and second plier handles being forced together, said first and second plier jaws respectively including means for selectively engaging them to said first and second cartridge jaws for thereby allowing a physician to engage the opposite plier jaws to respective opposite cartridge jaws when said cartridge is fully loaded with a plurality of suturing staples for thereafter allowing said physician to manipulate said first and second plier handles so as to move said plurality of staples to a desired position, with said tissue to be sutured located in the mouths of said staples, for thereafter allowing said physician to force said first and second cartridge jaws together to drive said tissue piercing tips of said staple legs through said tissue and further bend said staples into closed positions to form loops on said tissue, and for thereafter allowing said physician to remove said cartridge from said plier jaws and attach a further loaded cartridge to the plier jaws for repeating this procedure;
• whereby pluralities of suturing staples can be quickly applied to pieces of tissue by sequentially mounting loaded cartridges on the jaws of the plier-like tool and using the plier-like tool to force the staple legs together on said tissue positioned in their mouths, for suturing the tissues.