Instruments for delivering transfascial sutures and methods of transfascial suturing

An instrument for delivering a transfascial suture, the instrument comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft extending from the handle and including a distal end;
• first and second needles moveable to at least one extended position beyond the distal end of the shaft, each needle being hollow and having a sharp end adapted to pierce a soft tissue repair prosthetic and abdominal wall tissue;
• first and second suture catches movably supported within the first and second needles, each of the first and second suture catches extendable from and retractable into a corresponding one of the first and second needles, each suture catch adapted to retain and release a suture segment;
• and
• a drive mechanism adapted to advance the first and second needles and/or the first and second suture catches to an extended position.

An instrument for delivering a transfascial suture, the instrument comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft extending from the handle and including a distal end;
• at least one needle moveable to at least one extended position beyond the distal end of the shaft, the at least one needle having a sharp end adapted to pierce a soft tissue repair prosthetic and abdominal wall tissue, the at least one needle adapted to carry a suture segment through the abdominal wall tissue;
• at least one suture catch located on an externally accessible portion of the at least one needle proximal to the sharp end, the at least one suture catch adapted to be opened and closed, the suture catch to receive and release the suture segment when opened, the suture catch to retain the suture segment when closed;
• and
• a drive mechanism adapted to advance the at least one needle to an extended position.

An instrument for delivering a transfascial suture, the instrument comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft extending from the handle and including a distal end;
• first and second suture guides moveable to at least one extended position beyond the distal end of the shaft, each of the first and second suture guides adapted to guide a suture therealong, each of the first and second suture guides having a sharp distal end adapted to pierce a soft tissue repair prosthetic and abdominal wall tissue;
• a suture guide support coupling proximal ends of the first and second suture guides together, the suture guide support including a continuous suture guide channel adapted to guide the suture from the proximal end of the first suture guide to the proximal end of the second suture guide;
• and
• a drive mechanism adapted to advance the first and second suture guides to the at least one extended position.

An instrument for delivering a transfascial suture, the instrument comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft extending from the handle and including a distal end;
• first and second suture guides moveable to at least one extended position beyond the distal end of the shaft, each of the first and second suture guides being hollow and adapted to guide a suture therealong, each of the first and second suture guides having a sharp distal end adapted to pierce a soft tissue repair prosthetic and abdominal wall tissue;
• a suture guide support including a continuous channel adapted to guide the suture from the first suture guide to the second suture guide;
• and
• a drive mechanism adapted to advance the first and second suture guides to the at least one extended position;
• each of the first and second suture guides including an elongated slot that extends from the sharp distal end thereof to the suture guide support and that is adapted to release the suture therefrom.

An instrument for delivering a transfascial suture, the instrument comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft extending from the handle and including a distal end;
• at least one needle moveable to a plurality of discrete extended positions beyond the distal end of the shaft that differ from each other, the at least one needle having a sharp end adapted to pierce a soft tissue repair prosthetic and abdominal wall tissue;
• at least one suture catch associated with the at least one needle that is adapted to catch and release a suture segment;
• and
• a needle drive mechanism adapted to advance the at least one needle to the plurality of discrete extended positions in response to multiple actuations of the needle drive mechanism.