Laparoscopic suturing system
OwnerWayne L. Pollinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for connecting the ends of a suture stitch includes a piston and cylinder combination with one end of the suture secured to the cylinder. The other end of the suture initially includes a needle for penetrating two tissues to be approximated and then passing the needle and its attached suture through aligned openings in the cylinder sidewalls. The portion of the suture passing through the cylinder is trapped therein by the depression of the piston to engage the bottom inside surface of the cylinder which locks that end of the suture in place.
Claims20
An intracorporeal laparoscopic suture and lock including,
- a suture having a needle secured to one end and a suture lock secured to the other end,
- said suture lock comprising a housing and a piston, said piston being mounted to move into a cavity in said housing, said cavity being defined by a sidewall and a bottom,
- two openings in said sidewall, said openings being spaced apart and configured to receive said needle in a passage extending through said cavity and both openings,
- said piston being movable into engagement with said bottom to clamp said suture against said bottom after said needle has passed through both openings.
A process for intracorporeal laparoscopic suturing comprising,
- providing a combined piston, cylinder and crimping tool connected together in operative position, one of said cylinder or piston being connected to one end of a suture, a needle being connected to the other end of the suture,
- passing said needle through tissues to form a stitch,
- passing said needle through openings in said cylinder and deploying said suture between the bottom of said cylinder and said piston,
- depressing said piston with said crimping tool to clamp said suture between said bottom and said piston, and
- disengaging said crimping tool from said cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.