Patent ID: 9271718
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A suturing and ligating method to be performed inside a body cavity within a living body, using a first manipulator which has a first distal-end working unit including a rolling mechanism and a first opening and closing mechanism, and a second manipulator which has a second distal-end working unit including a second opening and closing mechanism, the first manipulator including an operating unit to be held by an operator, the operating unit including a rotary input unit and a motor, wherein the rotary input unit is operable by an operator's finger to supply a rotational command, the motor operating based on input to the rotary input unit, and the rolling mechanism being energized by the motor, the method comprising: a needle piercing step of inserting a needle of a suture-needle assembly through a tissue in the body cavity while leaving a portion of a suture strand of the suture-needle assembly uninserted in the tissue; a needle gripping step of gripping the needle with the first opening and closing mechanism; a winding step of winding the suture strand around the second distal-end working unit of the second manipulator a predetermined number of times by rolling the first opening and closing mechanism of the first manipulator, which is gripping the needle, around a longitudinal axis of the first distal-end working unit in a first rolling direction and then in a second rolling direction opposite to the first rolling direction via the rolling mechanism, so as to reciprocally turn a proximal end portion of the needle for changing orientation of the needle point; a suture strand gripping step of gripping the portion of the suture strand, which is not inserted into the tissue, with the second opening and closing mechanism; a pulling step of pulling the portion of the suture strand through loops of the suture strand, which are wound around the second distal-end working unit; and a tightening step of forming a knot by moving the first distal-end working unit and the second distal-end working unit in opposite directions from each other; wherein, in the winding step, in a state where the suture strand is being wound around the second distal-end working unit, the first opening and closing mechanism gripping the needle is rotated alternately in the first rolling direction and in the second rolling direction.