Endoscopic suturing device and related method and suture

A surgical suturing assembly comprising:

• an elongate flexible tubular member having a diameter sufficiently small so that said tubular member is slidably insertable into a biopsy channel extending longitudinally through a flexible tubular endoscope member;
• an elongate flexible rod member slidably disposed inside said elongate flexible tubular member;
• a needle having a spring bias construction tending to bend said needle into an arcuate configuration, said needle being disposed in a straightened configuration at least partially inside said tubular member distally of a distal end of said rod member;
• and
• a suture having an end attached to a proximal end of said needle.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an endoscope including an elongate flexible outer tubular member and a biopsy channel extending longitudinally through said tubular member;
• a needle having a spring bias construction tending to bend said needle into an arcuate configuration, said needle being disposed in a straightened configuration at least partially inside said biopsy channel at a distal end thereof;
• means for ejecting said needle from said biopsy channel;
• a suture having an end attached to a proximal end of said needle;
• and
• means for closing said suture upon an ejection of said needle from said biopsy channel by a distally directed motion of said rod member and a subsequent assumption by said needle of said arcuate configuration.

A suture device comprising:

• a thread member provided along at least a portion of its length with a series of resilient projections, said thread member having an outer diameter defined by said projections;
• a loop member defining an opening having a linear dimension substantially larger than said outer diameter;
• and
• joining means for connecting one end of said thread member to said loop member, at least one of said joining means and said loop member defining at least in part an aperture having a linear dimension smaller than said outer diameter, said aperture communicating with said opening defined by said loop;
• locking means, provided on at least one of said joining means and said loop member, for preventing a removal of said thread member from said aperture upon a passing of said thread member through said loop member and a subsequent pulling of said thread member into said aperture from said loop member;
• and
• a needle having a spring bias construction tending to bend said needle into an arcuate configuration, said needle having a sharp end and being attached at an opposite end to a free end of said thread member.

A suture device comprising:

• a thread member provided along at least a portion of its length with a series of resiliently collapsible projections, said thread member having an outer diameter defined by said projections;
• a loop member defining an opening having a linear dimension substantially larger than said outer diameter;
• joining means for connecting one end of said thread member to said loop member, at least one of said joining means and said loop member defining at least in part an aperture having a linear dimension smaller than said outer diameter, said aperture communicating with said opening defined by said loop;
• locking means, provided on at least one of said joining means and said loop member, for preventing a removal of said thread member from said aperture upon a passing of said thread member through said loop member and a subsequent pulling of said thread member into said aperture from said loop member;
• and
• a needle having a spring bias construction tending to bend said needle into an arcuate configuration, said needle having a sharp end and being attached at an opposite end to a free end of said thread member.

A method for performing a surgical operation on internal body tissues of a patient, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a tubular endoscope member through an aperture in the patient's body;
• using said endoscope to visually locate the internal body tissues inside the patient's body;
• upon locating said surgical site, pushing an elongate flexible rod member in a distal direction through a biopsy channel in said tubular endoscope member to eject a needle disposed in a straightened configuration inside said channel at a distal end of said tubular endoscope member, said needle having a spring bias construction tending to bend said needle into an arcuate configuration, said needle having a proximal end attached to a suture;
• upon ejection of said needle from said channel, passing said needle in said arcuate configuration through the internal body tissues;
• upon passing of said needle through the internal body tissues, closing said suture;
• and
• upon closure of said suture, withdrawing said tubular endoscope member out of the patient's body though said aperture.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an endoscope including an elongate flexible outer tubular member and a first biopsy channel and a second biopsy channel both extending longitudinally through said tubular member, said outer tubular member being formed with an elongate connecting channel connecting said first biopsy channel to said second biopsy channel along their lengths;
• a suture device comprising
• a thread member provided along at least a portion of its length with a series of resilient projections, said thread member having an outer diameter defined by said projections;
• a loop member defining an opening having a linear dimension substantially larger than said outer diameter;
• and
• joining means for connecting one end of said thread member to said loop member, at least one of said joining means and said loop member defining at least in part an aperture having a linear dimension smaller than said outer diameter, said aperture communicating with said opening defined by said loop;
• locking means, provided on at least one of said joining means and said loop member, for preventing a removal of said thread member from said aperture upon a passing of said thread member through said loop member and a subsequent pulling of said thread member into said aperture from said loop member;
• and
• a first elongate flexible member slidably inserted in said first biopsy channel, said first elongate flexible member including holding means at a distal end for holding said thread member of said suture device;
• and
• a second elongate flexible member slidably inserted in said second biopsy channel, said second elongate flexible member being provided at a distal end with grasping means for grasping a free end of said thread member upon a moving of at least an end portion of said thread member out from said first biopsy channel upon a distally directed motion of said first elongate flexible member,
• said loop member being traversed in said second biopsy channel by said second elongate flexible member, said thread member extending from said loop member through said connecting channel to said first biopsy channel.