Apparatus and method for surgical suturing with thread management

A surgical device for suturing mammalian tissue comprising:

• an actuator handle having an attachment end;
• an elongated drive shaft having a distal end, a proximal end attached to the attachment end of the actuator handle, and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end;
• a support arm assembly having a proximal end and a distal end releasably attached to a cartridge holder assembly having a needle rotation drive capable of engaging and rotating a suturing needle about a rotational axis, the proximal end of the support arm assembly releasably attached to the distal end of the drive shaft to fix the support arm assembly relative to the drive shaft;
• a cartridge having a protective housing and the suturing needle, the cartridge extending from a distal end of the cartridge holder assembly and releasably attached to the cartridge holder assembly whereby the suturing needle releasably engages the needle rotation drive in the cartridge holder assembly, wherein a pointed end of the suturing needle is positioned within the protective housing after a complete rotation of the suturing needle about the rotational axis;
• and
• an actuator attached to the actuator handle for causing rotation of the drive shaft and the needle rotation drive, thereby rotating the suturing needle about the rotational axis of the needle rotation drive.

A method for suturing tissue comprising the steps of:

• releasably engaging a cartridge to a cartridge holder assembly of a suturing device;
• placing a the suturing device having a the cartridge with a protective housing and a suturing needle to cause an aperture in the cartridge to span a plurality of separated tissue segments, wherein a pointed end of the suturing needle is positioned within the protective housing after a complete rotation of the suturing needle about a rotational axis;
• activating an actuator coupled to a needle rotation drive that releasably engages the suturing needle to cause rotational movement of the suturing needle across the aperture and advance the suturing needle through the plurality of separated tissue segments;
• and
• deactivating the actuator to stop an advancing movement of the suturing needle to cause a suturing material attached to the suturing needle to be pulled through the plurality of separated tissue segments forming a stitch.

A method for suturing tissue at a wound or incision site comprising the steps of:

• (a) releasably engaging a cartridge to a cartridge holder assembly of a suturing device;
• (b) placing a suturing device having a cartridge with a protective housing and a suturing needle at the wound site or incision site to cause an aperture in the cartridge to span a tissue of the wound or incision site, wherein a pointed end of the suturing needle is positioned within the protective housing after a complete rotation of the suturing needle about a rotational axis;
• (c) activating an actuator coupled to a needle rotation drive that releasably engages the suturing needle to cause rotational movement of the suturing needle across the aperture and advance the suture needle through the tissue of the wound or incision site;
• and
• (d) deactivating the actuator at the completion of advancing movement of the suturing needle to cause a suturing material attached to the suturing needle to be pulled through the tissue of the wound or incision site;
• and
• repeating steps B through D to cause a plurality of stitches to be placed through the tissue of the wound or incision site.