Endoscopic suture system

Claim 2

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 1 further comprising: a suture channel which intersects said curved needle channel at said distal end of said elongate body member; and a suture capture projection positioned adjacent said suture channel and said curved needle channel such that a suture lying in said suture channel is captured between said projection and said flexible pusher as said deployment controller moves from said retracted position to said deployed position.

Claim 3

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 1 further comprising a needle catch at said distal end of said elongate body member.

Claim 4

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 3 wherein said curved surgical needle has a shoulder near a distal point and said needle catch further comprises a first opening dimension sized to allow said shouldered needle to pass therethrough and a second opening dimension sized smaller than said shoulder, thereby capturing said needle at said shoulder.

Claim 5

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 3 further comprising: a needle capture channel at said distal end of said elongate body member; a cam positioned in said needle capture channel so as to wedge a needle inserted in said needle capture channel between said cam and said channel.

Claim 6

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 5 wherein said cam is coupled to said flexible pusher and as said deployment controller moves from said retracted position to said deployed position, said cam increases the capture force applied to said needle.

Claim 7

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 1 further comprising a suture channel formed at the distal end of said elongate body member for pushing a knot tied extracorporeally into a body cavity.

Claim 8

A suturing instrument comprising: an elongate body member having a longitudinal axis; a deployment controller having a proximal end and a distal end, said deployment controller extending substantially along the longitudinal axis of said elongate body member to a distal end of said elongate body member, wherein said deployment controller has a retracted position and a deployed position; and a needle deployment system located within the distal end of said elongate body member and coupled to said deployment controller, said needle deployment system comprising: a curved needle carrier channel and a curved needle carrier movably positioned therein and having a needle point mounted on a distal end thereof, said curved needle channel located substantially in a plane which is substantially parallel to said elongate body member longitudinal axis; and a flexible pusher coupled to said deployment controller, said needle deployment system having a retracted configuration when said deployment controller is in said retracted position wherein substantially all of the curved needle carrier is contained within said elongate body member and a deployed configuration when said deployment controller is in said deployed position, wherein said flexible pusher pushes the curved needle carrier along said curved needle channel outside of said elongate body member along a path having an initial direction away from said elongate body member longitudinal axis as said deployment controller begins to move from said retracted position toward said deployed position followed by a direction toward said elongate body member longitudinal axis as said deployment controller approaches said deployed position.

Claim 9

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 8 further comprising: a bullet needle having a suture attachment point, said bullet needle inserted in said curved needle carrier; a suture attached to said bullet needle suture attachment point; and a needle capture system located on said elongate body member at a location which intercepts said portion of said needle carrier path which approaches toward said elongate body member.

Claim 10

A suturing instrument for placing sutures inside a body cavity comprising: an elongate body member having a longitudinal axis; needle deployment means for deploying a surgical needle outside a distal end of said elongate body member along a path having an initial direction away from said elongate body member longitudinal axis followed by a direction toward said elongate body member longitudinal axis; and needle capture means attached to said elongate body member for capturing the surgical needle after deployment.

Claim 11

A suturing instrument as defined in Claim 10 further comprising a knot pushing means located at the distal end of said elongate body member for pushing a knot tied extracorporeally into the body cavity.