Patent ID: 9398906
Filing Date: 2016-07-26
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A suture passing instrument comprising: an operation handle having an actuator movable between a first position and a second position; a cannulated needle member extending from the operation handle and having a curved end portion, the cannulated needle member having an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall defining a bore extending through the needle member for use in delivering a suture; a suture pusher movable within the needle member from a pusher retracted position to a pusher extended position; a suture shuttle configured to be loaded into the bore of the cannulated needle and operable to be coupled to the suture, the suture shuttle having at least one bead and movable along the bore by the suture pusher; and a guide tube having a guide tube body adapted to telescopically receive a retriever loop at a distal end thereof, wherein the retriever loop is movable between a loop retracted position and a loop extended position outside the guide tube, wherein upon moving the suture pusher from the pusher retracted position to the pusher extended position, the suture shuttle and the suture can be moved by the suture pusher, and wherein the suture shuttle is configured such that upon moving the retriever loop from a loop retracted position to a loop extended position the suture can be captured by the retriever loop outside the guide tube.