Patent ID: 9271719
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method for passing suture through tissue, the method comprising: providing a tool assembly and a needle assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises a handle having a first feature and a second feature, an elongated shaft mounted to the handle, a distal jaw disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft and a proximal jaw movably mounted to the elongated shaft, and wherein the needle assembly comprises a self-contained pre-assembled assembly mountable as a unit to the tool assembly, the needle assembly comprising an inner needle comprising a first mating feature for mating with the first feature of the handle and an outer needle comprising a second mating feature for mating with the second feature of the handle, the outer needle being concentrically disposed about the inner needle, and the inner needle being spring-mounted to the outer needle; loading the needle assembly into the tool assembly by mating the first mating feature of the inner needle with the first feature of the handle and by mating the second mating feature of the outer needle with the second feature of the handle, thereby mounting the needle assembly to the tool assembly so that the outer needle of the needle assembly is disposed within the elongated shaft of the tool assembly; releasably supporting a length of suture on the distal jaw; longitudinally advancing the proximal jaw toward the distal jaw so as to releasably clamp tissue therebetween; advancing the inner needle and the outer needle through the tissue so that a hook on the inner needle engages the suture releasably supported on the distal jaw; and retracting the inner needle and the outer needle back through the tissue, with the inner needle carrying the suture therewith.