tin 3,901,244 [45] Aug. 26, 1975
[54] SUTURE CARTRIDGE
[76] Inventor: Edward E. Schweizer, P.O. Box 314, Katonah, N.Y. 10536
[22] Filed: June 14, 1974
[21] Appl. No.: 479,587
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 358,082, May 7, 1973, Pat. No. 3,842,840.
[52] U.S. CI 128/334 R; 128/340; 206/63.3;
242/137.1; 242/171
[51] Int. CI.2 A6IB 17/04
[58] Field of Search 128/326, 334 R, 339, 340;
206/63.3, 389, 409; 242/137.1, 171
[56] References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS
919,152 4/1909 Gausc 128/340
3,470,875 10/1969 Johnson 128/334 R
3,807,407 4/1974 Schweizer 128/340 X
3,842,840 10/1974 Schweizer 128/334 R
Primary Examiner—Dalton L. Truluck
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Melvin R. Stidham, Esq.
[57] ABSTRACT
A cartridge for a suturing clamp in which the flesh is clamped by a pair of jaws and further movement of the clamp actuator handle drives a needle, carrying a length of suture with it, through the flesh. A cartridge, which rotatably carries a bobbin with suture, is releasably gripped on one of the jaws, and a narrow slot at the forward end grips a length of suture to hold it across the path of the needle. When the cartridge is in place on the clamp, a roughened undersurface forms one of the flesh gripping surfaces, and a cover on the cartridge is held against a surface of the clamp jaw so that it cannot fall from the cartridge.
8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures
