Patent ID: 9498208
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method of passing a suture through tissue, comprising: loading a first suture limb of a suture strand into a retainer disposed at a distal end of a suture passing instrument such that the first suture limb extends on a first side of the instrument; loading a second suture limb of the suture strand into the retainer of the suture passing instrument such that the second suture limb extends on the first side of the instrument, the first and second suture limbs being opposite ends of the suture strand; positioning first and second jaws of the suture passing instrument to grasp tissue within a patient's body; deploying a needle from the suture passing instrument such that the needle extends through the tissue grasped between the first and second jaws of the instrument, the needle carrying a portion of at least the first suture limb through the tissue such that the first and second suture limbs extend from a first tissue surface and at least a first suture loop is formed on a second tissue surface opposite the first tissue surface; pulling the first suture loop to draw the first suture limb through the tissue; pulling the second suture limb toward a proximal end of the suture passing instrument to draw the second suture limb into a proximal end of the retainer without removing the suture passing instrument from the patient's body; deploying the needle from the suture passing instrument a second time to carry a portion of the second suture limb through the tissue such that the second suture limb extends from the first tissue surface and a second suture loop is formed on the second tissue surface; and pulling the second suture loop to draw the second suture limb through the tissue.