Patent ID: 9233195
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: A61M

Claim Text:
1. A surgical instrument, said surgical instrument comprising: a needle mount having a passageway; a needle having a rigid needle body, said needle body having a length between proximal and distal ends, said proximal end extending from said needle mount, said needle body having a passageway extending from said proximal end to said distal end, said needle body passageway communicating with said needle mount passageway, said needle body passageway terminating at said distal end at a needle shaft end, a hollow elastomeric sleeve having a length and a passageway, said elastomeric sleeve being relatively substantially more flexible than said needle body, said sleeve passageway sized and shaped to allow said sleeve to fit over said needle shaft end and at least a portion of said needle body so that the sleeve fully surrounds the needle shaft end, said sleeve having a sleeve body extending from said needle shaft end terminating at a rounded sleeve tip, said sleeve having spaced lengthwise ends; and a passageway formed through said sleeve tip whereby said tip passageway, said sleeve passageway, said needle passageway and said mount passageway define a continuous flow path.