Abstract:
A surgical suturing apparatus includes a needle, a needle holder which also serves as a support for suturing material, and an elongate handle. The needle defines a passageway through which the suturing material extends. The passageway has an outlet at the distal end of the needle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a surgical device that will make it much easier for surgeons when performing surgeries to continuously or in an interrupted fashion suture different types of tissues. The present invention is capable of storing a large amount of suture material so suturing will be more or less without interruption, saving time in surgical procedures and cutting the cost of the surgical care. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In the present market there is no suitable suturing device that is capable of performing both suturing and the storing of suture material. The present invention is a needle and a spool, which can be made in different sizes. The invention is made to be relatively inexpensive, pre-sterilized, and disposable. 
     The prior art includes a variety of needle holders and free needles which are not suitable for use in many surgical procedures, but in the absence of anything better, surgeons are forced to use them, or to use other means of connecting different tissues, such as staplers or clips. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the surgical suturing apparatus includes a coil needle that can be made in different lengths, with ½ loops, one loop, or multiple loops. The coil needle is made of hypodermic tubing of different lumen gages to accommodate the passage of different types of suture material. The needle itself represents the distal end of the apparatus that finishes with a sharp tip and an opening that faces the outer radius of the coil. 
     The proximal end of the needle extends from the axial center of the coil and travels under an angle to fit in the channel define by the conic portion of the shaft where the tip of the conic portion will meet the beginning of the distal end of the needle in the needle&#39;s axial center. 
     The proximal end of the surgical suturing apparatus is a shaft which includes a conic portion in which the needle is secured, and a straight longitudinal portion on which the spool of suture material is placed. 
     There is a channel in the conic portion of the shaft that travels from the tip of the conus and finishes at the proximal end of the conic portion in such a way that it is under the same angle as the proximal end of the needle and the proximal opening is just above the edge of the distal portion of the spool. 
     The longitudinal portion of the shaft supports the spool and allows it to freely rotate. The very proximal end of the longitudinal portion is finished in a suitable way so that a surgeon may grasp it. 
     The spool is made to fit on the longitudinal portion of the shaft and has its own tubular cover to keep the suture material enclosed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complex understanding of this invention, one should now refer to the embodiment illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of an example of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a surgical suturing apparatus which includes a distal end and a proximal end. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coil needle showing the distal and proximal portions of the needle; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the conic portion; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the spool used to hold the suture material in the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the Spool Cover; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the longitudinal portion, including a shaft and a hand-piece. 
     While the following disclosure describes the invention in connection with one embodiment, one should understand that the invention is not limited to this embodiment and modification. Furthermore, one should understand that the drawings are not to scale and that graphic symbols, diagrammatic representatives, and fragmentary views, in part, illustrate the embodiment. In certain instances, the disclosure may not include details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention such as conventional details of fabrication and assembly. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For ease of reference, as used herein the term “distal” will refer to that part of the instrument which is farthest for the surgeon, and the term “proximal” refers to that part of the apparatus which is closest to the surgeon. 
     Turning now to the drawings and referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, the surgical suturing apparatus of the present invention  10  generally includes a needle portion  11 , a conic portion  12 , a spool  13 , a spool cover  14  and a handle  15 . FIG. 2 shows the needle portion that includes a coil with a plurality of loops. Alternatively the needle portion may include only one loop or even one half of a loop. 
     The distal end of a needle portion  11  includes a tip  16  with an opening for the passage of suture material. The opening is made in such a way that it is on the top of the outside radius of the needle portion for a better presentation and easier grasping of the suture material. 
     The proximal end of stem of the needle portion is made under an angle and travels from the axial center of the coil, laterally toward the outside radius of the coil. The angle is equivalent to the angle of a channel  17  in the conic portion  12  in which the proximal end of the needle is secured. 
     FIG. 3 shows the conic portion  12  including a shaft  18  and a conic end  19  that defines the channel  17  and an opening  20 . 
     The conic portion  12  is made in different outside diameter to be suitable for different passages. In the conic portion  12 , the channel  17  travels from the tip, extending into the proximal horizontal portion of the conus under the angle that is the same as the angle of the proximal portion of the needle  11 . The opening  20  of the channel  17  on the proximal horizontal surface of the conus is placed in the space between the circular portion of the distal end of the spool  13  and the spool cover  14  in such a way that it will allow free advancement of the suture material. 
     The shaft  18  of the conic portion  12  is placed in the central line of the handle  15  and serves as an axle for the spool  13  and the spool cover  14 . The very end is threaded for attachment to the handle  15 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the spool  13  which is made in such a way that the distal end is of smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the spool cover  14  to allow space for suture material to freely advance through the needle and also for the spool  13  to freely turn around the shaft  18 . The proximal end of the spool is of the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the spool cover with minimal tolerance to allow the spool to freely turn when covered. The length of the longitudinal portion  15  and the length of the spool  13  will depend on the type and amount of suture material needed (ie. the more suture material needed, the longer the spool and shaft). 
     FIG. 5 shows the spool cover  14  which is made to cover the spool  13  with suture material and to be of the same outside diameter as the conic portion  12 . The distal end of the cover  14  is open and the proximal end has a central hole that is of the same diameter as the outside diameter of the handle  15  at the location. 
     FIG. 6 shows the handle  15  which includes a shaft portion  15   a  and hand-piece  15   b.  The shaft portion  15   a  is of the same outside diameter as the spool cover  14 , and conic portion  12 . On the tip of the shaft portion  15   a  there is a threaded bore  15   c  for the attachment of the conic portion  12 . The hand-piece  15   b  is made to be suitable for an argonomic grasp by the surgeon&#39;s hand. 
     While the above description and the drawing disclose and illustrate one embodiment, one should understand, of course, that the invention is not limited to this embodiment. Those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains may make other embodiments employing the principles of this invention, particularly upon considering the foregoing teachings. Therefore, by the appended claims, the applicant intends to cover any modifications and other embodiments as incorporate those features which constitute the essential features of this invention.