Patent ID: 9675339
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A suturing device comprising: an arced needle having a leading end, a trailing end, and a length of suture, the arced needle being disposed within a suturing head located at a distal end of the suturing device; an arced needle track defined in the suturing head for receiving the needle, the arced needle track defining a circular path; a needle driver configured to drive the needle along the circular path in a first rotational direction, the needle driver including a drive pawl that is configured to engage the needle and advance the needle along the needle track in the first rotational direction, and a plurality of anti-rotate pawls projecting into the arced needle track, the plurality of anti-rotate pawls being spaced apart from one another along the circular path defined by the needle track, each anti-rotate pawl being configured to engage the trailing end of the needle to prevent the needle from rotating in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction when the needle driver reciprocates between a drive stroke and a return stroke, wherein the drive stroke drives the needle about 180 degrees along the needle track.