Needle and procedure for relieving urinary incontinence

Abstract

An incontinence needle includes a needle, a finger grip, and a suture. The needle has an atraumatic tip on one end and the suture swaged on the other end thereof. The finger grip includes a rocker arm, a slidable base and a pivot pin. The slidable base contains a bore which passes through the length thereof. The rocker arm has a cam surface on the bottom thereof which prevents movement of the finger grip relative to the needle in a first position and allows sliding in a second position. The rocker arm is pivotal mounted to the slidable base. The finger grip is used to drive the needle through body tissue. The incontinence needle is used in the following manner. An incision is made in the abdomen above the public bone. The finger grip is locked at a comfortable position along the length of the needle. A forefinger and thumb of one hand are used to guide the needle through the tissue and the forefinger and thumb of the other hand is used to drive the needle into the incision and body tissue. As the needle travels through the tissue, the finger grip may be unlocked, slid back and then relocked with the driving forefinger and thumb. The guiding forefinger is used to help prevent the needle from piercing the urethra and to ensure that the needle exits above the vagina.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.