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US 7,879,048 B2Granted
Suture capture device
AssigneeArthroCare Corporation
InventorsGregory H. Bain, Norman S. Gordon
Life of this patent
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AssigneeArthroCare Corporation
InventorsGregory H. Bain, Norman S. Gordon
Estimating the term…
A suturing instrument for placing mattress stitches in soft tissue, such as a rotator cuff, includes an elongate shaft with both a stationary jaw and a movable jaw disposed at the distal end thereof. The shaft is coupled to a handle grip at the proximal end, which is configured to manipulate the jaws into open and closed positions. The jaws are configured to allow for a traumatic grasping of soft tissues. The stationary jaw may include a molded tip that holds and positions opposite ends of a single strand of suture material. The serrated upper jaw is configured to grasp and immobilize the tissue to be sutured. Hooked needles are movably positioned to pierce the grasped and immobilized tissues, and to engage and retrieve the opposite ends of the single strand of suture material. The handle is released to open the moveable jaw, whereupon the instrument may be withdrawn, trailing the suture, and leaving a mattress stitch in the grasped tissue.
A suturing device, comprising:
A method of suturing soft tissue using a suturing device, said method comprising:
A suture cartridge detachably connectable to a distal portion of a suturing device for placing a suture in tissue, the suturing device has a tissue receiving recess proximal to said suture cartridge, said suture cartridge comprising a tip comprising a groove, and a suture threaded on said groove, and further comprising a needle-directing feature on said tip disposed proximal to said groove, said needle-directing feature comprising a surface disposed distal to said tissue receiving recess that deflects a distal end of a first needle of said suturing device radially outwardly away from a the suture as said first needle is extended distally along an substantially longitudinal axial pathway and wherein said suture cartridge further comprises a needle-retracting feature comprising a retraction surface that directs the needle distal end under the suture to capture the suture in the distal end of the first needle as the first needle is retracted proximally along the substantially longitudinal axial pathway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.