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US5320632A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Surgical suturing apparatus

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1992-11-10
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Granted: 1994-06-14
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Expires: 2012-11-10
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Abstract

Abstract For sewing up a surgical opening (32), an instrument (10) is provided to be introduced thereinto. Needle holders (19), having needles (25) attached thereon, are laterally extended out of the instrument (10). By raising the instrument (10), the needles (25) are pierced through the cutaneous tissue (33) from the inside to the outside while the thread (30) passing through the needles (25) forms a loop within the patient's body. A needle catcher (26) is used for withdrawing the needles (25) out of the patient's body, the needles (25) being released from the needle holders (19). Finally, the thread loop can be tied into a knot above the surgical opening (32) outside the patient's body.

Inventors

  • 👤 Elke Heidmueller

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 21:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/04; A61B17/06; A61B17/062; A61B17/0469; A61B17/0057; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B2017/047; A61B2017/0472; A61B17/06004; A61B2017/06019; A61B2017/06042; A61B2017/06057

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 78 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), and means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 78 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), and means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 91 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44) means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supported needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other, and means (18, 23) for guiding said needles during the reciprocal sliding movement therebetween.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 91 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44) means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supported needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other, and means (18, 23) for guiding said needles during the reciprocal sliding movement therebetween.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 81 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), and means (26) disposed between said elongated instrument first and second end portions for clampingly gripping the needle tips.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 81 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), and means (26) disposed between said elongated instrument first and second end portions for clampingly gripping the needle tips.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 132 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remote skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, and means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 132 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remote skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, and means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 145 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remove skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other, and means (18, 23) for guiding said needles during the reciprocal sliding movement therebetween.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 145 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remove skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, means (18, 18) for mounting said needles for reciprocal sliding movement relative to each other, and means (18, 23) for guiding said needles during the reciprocal sliding movement therebetween.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 135 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remote skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, and means (26) disposed between said elongated instrument first and second end portions for clampingly gripping the needle tips.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 135 words
A surgical suturing apparatus comprising a relatively elongated instrument (10, 40) having generally opposite spaced first and second end portions (generally 11, 13; 42a,43a, 44), means (19) located at said first end portion (11; 42a 43a) for removably supporting needles (25) at said first end portion (11; 42a, 43a) with tips of said needles directed toward said second end portion (13, 44,), means (17, 20; 41) for displacing needle tips from a first relatively close body opening insertion position (FIGS. 1 and 6) to a second relatively more remote skin penetration position (FIGS. 2 and 7) to effect respective introduction of the needles within a body opening and subsequent needle penetration into the skin contiguous thereto, and means (26) disposed between said elongated instrument first and second end portions for clampingly gripping the needle tips.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

FR812579A Cited
US4493323A Cited
SU1093329A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-06-13 1997-12-13 1998-06-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-06-13 2001-12-13 2002-06-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-06-13 2005-12-13 2006-06-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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