Patent ID: 9649106
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A suturing device, comprising: an elongate member comprising a distal end; at least two arms connected with the elongate member near the distal end for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, each of the at least two arms comprising at least one suture mount located near a free end of each of the at least two arms and configured to releasably retain a suture portion; at least two needles each configured to move between a retracted position and a deployed position to retrieve the suture potion retained in the at least one suture mount when each of the at least two needles is moved from the retracted position to the deployed position and returned to the retracted position; and a protective member configured to inhibit contact between a distal end of each of the at least two needles and surrounding tissue during at least a portion of the movement of each of the at least two needles from its retracted position toward its deployed position; wherein the protective member is moveable into alignment with each of the at least two arms; and wherein each of the at least two arms in its extended position has a free end, the free ends being spaced apart from each other, and the protective member is configured to house the at least two needles and move between locations adjacent each of the free ends of the arms.