Loading patent…
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsDavid T. Martin, Wells D. Haberstich, James A. Woodard, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A surgical suturing system comprises a reusable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end has a receiver and a rotary drive. A reusable actuator is connected to the proximal end of the shaft. A disposable cartridge is adapted to be attached to and detached from the receiver. The cartridge comprises an arced track, an arced needle positioned in the track having a leading end and a trailing end, a length of suture connected to the trailing end, a reciprocating needle driver operative to engage and move the needle in the arced circular track, and a transmission operatively connected to the needle driver having a rotary input adapted to couple to the rotary drive. The reusable shaft and actuator may be autoclavable.
A surgical suturing system, the system comprising:
A disposable surgical needle cartridge adapted to be attached to and detached from a surgical suturing device comprising a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a rotary drive comprising a rack and pinion, the pinion having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the disposable cartridge comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.