Patent ID: 9393010
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A suture passing instrument comprising: an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a cannulation; a first jaw member integral to the distal end of the elongate body, the first jaw member having a securing mechanism and a passage; a single needle wherein the single needle passes through the cannulation of the elongate body and through the passage of the first jaw member; a second jaw member mounted to the distal end of the elongate body and pivotally connected to the first jaw member such that the second jaw member is moveable with respect to the first jaw member; a first flexible strand and a second flexible strand loaded onto the first jaw member, the first flexible strand secured within a slot of the single needle, and the second flexible strand being secured onto the securing mechanism of the first jaw member; and a handle assembly configured to move the single needle from a first position to a second position and to sequentially engage each of the first flexible strand and the second flexible strand with the single needle and pass each of the first flexible strand and second flexible strand independently of each other, wherein when the first flexible strand and second flexible strand are loaded onto the first jaw member, the first flexible strand is offset from the second flexible strand with respect to a most distal tip of the first jaw, and the first flexible strand is positioned distally to the second flexible strand relative to the handle assembly.