Device and method for suturing of internal puncture sites

659,422 10/1900 Shidler.

2,646,045 7/1953 Priestley .

2,959,172 11/1960 Held .

3,665,926 5/1972 Flores .

3,820,544 6/1974 Semm 606/139

3,939,820 2/1976 Grayzel .

4,161,951 7/1979 Scanlan, Jr. .

4,317,445 3/1982 Robinson.

4,493,323 1/1985 Albright et al. .

4,587,969 5/1986 Gillis .

4,744,364 5/1988 Kensey .

4,852,568 8/1989 Kensey .

4,890,612 1/1990 Kensey .

4,926,860 5/1990 Stice et al 606/144

4,929,246 5/1990 Sinofsky .

4,935,027 6/1990 Yoon 606/148

4,984,581 1/1991 Stice 128/772

5,002,563 3/1991 Pyka et al 606/222

5,021,059 6/1991 Kensey et al. .

5,037,433 8/1991 Wilk et al 606/144

5,061,274 10/1991 Kensey .

5,219,358 6/1993 Bendel et al 606/139

5,222,974 6/1993 Kensey et al. .

5,250,053 10/1993 Snyder 606/148

5,254,126 10/1993 Filipi et al 606/148

5,304,184 4/1994 Hathaway et al 606/144

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

0140557 4210724 405042161 993922 1093329A 1174036A 1648400 9405213

5/1985 7/1993 2/1993 2/1983 5/1984 8/1985 5/1991 3/1994

European Pat. Off. Germany .

Japan

U.S.S.R

U.S.S.R. .
U.S.S.R. .

U.S.S.R

WIPO .

606/148

606/148

606/148

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Elgiloy Brochure, 23 Jun. 1959, Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois.

Rema "Innovation Through Progress" published by Rema-Medizintechnik GmbH, Durbheim-Tuttlingen, Germany (8 pages).

Product brochure "The Proven Solution to Endoscopic Suturing," Lauras Medical Corporation, Irvine, California Oct. 1994.

Primary Examiner— Stephen C. Pellagrino

Assistant Examiner—Jeffrey A. Schmidt

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Townsend and Townsend and

Crew

A suture applying device comprises a shaft having a nose piece attached at its distal end. The shaft and the nose piece are separated by a transition region, and a needle entry lumen in the shaft permits a flexible needle to be introduced in the distal direction. The needle is able to cross the transition region and penetrate tissue held therein and enter into a return lumen in the nose piece. The return lumen is U-shaped and acts to bend the flexible needle as it is advanced. In this way, the needle passes from the nose piece through the transition region in a proximal direction, and is able to pass through tissue within the transition region generally on the opposite side of a tissue puncture from the first suture passage. The needle then exits from the device, permitting the suture attached to the needle to be drawn fully through the device. The suture may then be tied in order to close and seal the tissue penetration.

32 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets