Abstract:
A suturing instrument having a dock at the end for receiving and securing a needle attached to a suture. The suturing instrument includes a cannulated handle attached to the proximal end of a cannulated shaft. The proximal end of a needle is removably received and securely received in the curved needle dock formed on the distal end of the shaft. The suture attached to the needle passes through the shaft and out the proximal end of the handle. Once the instrument is inserted into the body (usually through a cannula), the suture is retracted at the proximal end of the instrument handle, which draws the attached needle into the needle dock. The suture dock preferably has a compound curvature which prevents substantial rotation of the needle upon insertion.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/513,209, filed Oct. 23, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to surgical suturing instruments and, in particular, to a suturing instrument with a dock for capturing and securing a needle attached to suture. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many surgical suturing instruments have been developed to assist surgeons in threading suture through tissue. A typical suturing instrument currently used for suturing during endoscopic surgery includes at one end movable jaws for grasping and releasing a needle, and at the opposite end a scissor-like control handle, which is used to open and close the jaws and to move the needle. The surgeon grasps the needle by closing the jaws around it, and then inserts the needle into and through the tissue and opens the jaws to release the needle. Next, the surgeon uses the same instrument or similar tool to grasp the needle and pull it through the tissue. The movements are repeated, as necessary, to complete the suturing procedure. 
     During suturing, the surgeon has to release and re-grasp the needle a number of times. Each time the surgeon re-grasps the needle, the needle must be positioned and oriented correctly within the jaws, so that it is readily inserted into and through the tissue to make another stitch. Accordingly, the surgeon must first determine the position and orientation of the needle in the jaws. This operation is difficult, particularly in endoscopic procedures, because the view of the needle and of the instrument is via a two-dimensional image transmitted by a camera to the surgeon. Next, the surgeon must adjust the needle within the jaws, as necessary, which is also difficult because the jaws only open and close. Further, the surgeon must ensure that the needle is not dropped, since the needle may be difficult to locate in the transmitted image. Once a dropped needle is located, picking it up is difficult, particularly with the suturing instrument. Often, a special instrument and another hand to manipulate the instrument are required. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a suturing instrument that can be accurately positioned and oriented relative to the tissue to be sutured, and that can be further manipulated in an efficient, consistent and precise manner even in very tight surroundings such as arthroscopic or laproscopic surgery. A suturing instrument which eliminates the need for mechanical jaws, and which is easy to employ in minimally invasive procedures or other procedures in which the direction of the access to the tissue to be sutured is limited, is also desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a suturing instrument including a cannulated handle attached to the proximal end of a cannulated shaft. The proximal end of a needle attached to a length of suture can be received and securely held in a needle dock formed on the distal end of the shaft. The suture attached to the needle passes through the shaft and out the proximal end of the handle. Pulling on the suture proximally draws the needle into the needle dock. The needle can be secured in a docked position by wedging the suture into a V-shaped notch formed proximally on the handle. 
     The suturing instrument of the present invention can be used in arthroscopic or mini-open procedures, for example. The needle is held in the docked position by securing the suture in the notch on the proximal end of the instrument handle. The surgeon uses the instrument to pierce through tissue to be repaired with the needle. Once the needle is advanced through the tissue, the proximal end of the suture is released from the notch. Drawing the handle away from the tissue causes the needle to separate from the dock, with the suture attached to the needle for further suturing steps. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description that is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings and illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a suturing instrument according to the present invention with the needle in the docked position; and 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a suturing instrument according to the present invention with the needle released from the dock and shown schematically piercing a section of tissue to be repaired. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to various specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described with sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be employed, and that structural and logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     The term “endoscopy” encompasses arthroscopy, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, among others, and endoscopic surgery involves the performance of surgical procedures within a patient&#39;s body through small openings as opposed to conventional open surgery through large incisions. 
     Referring now to the drawings, where like elements are designated by like reference numerals,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a surgical instrument  100  of the present invention for suturing anatomical tissue within a patient. As detailed below, the surgical suturing instrument includes a handle and a shaft that is provided at its distal end with a needle dock having a curved and/or coiled configuration that securely engages a needle attached to a length of suture. The surgical suturing instrument  100  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be employed, for example, in a wide variety of suturing applications including closing ruptured or incized tissues, soft tissue attachment, anastamosis, attachment of grafts and mesh, among many others. In particular, the curved surgical instrument allows it to be introduced into small openings for endoscopic procedures wherein access to the tissue to be sutured is difficult and wherein the position and orientation of the needle and attached suture cannot be easily assessed by the surgeon. 
     The suturing instrument  100  preferably comprises an elongate, narrow diameter body or shaft assembly  10  suitable for use in remote procedures performed through percutaneous tissue punctures, such as vascular closures, arthroscopic, laparoscopic and other invasive procedures and the like. The shaft assembly has a length of about 5 cm to about 20 cm, preferably about 15 cm. The diameter of the shaft assembly is sufficiently small to facilitate introduction through access sheaths, cannulas, trocars, and the like, typically being less than about 10 mm, preferably about 5 to about 7 mm. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the shaft assembly  10  is elongated and cannulated to allow a suture strand to freely pass through the shaft assembly, as described below. The shaft assembly  10  is provided with a substantially straight or linear region  15 , which is adjacent to a substantially curved region  20 . As described below, the curved region  20  has a compound curve (i.e., it curves in more than one dimension) and is employed as a needle dock (or needle docking region) for engaging and securing a needle  40  attached to a strand of suture  50 . Although the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to a suturing instrument having a curved needle dock region, preferably a compound curved region or “corkscrew” configuration, the invention also contemplates a suturing instrument having a needle dock region that has a configuration which is not necessarily curved, but rather designed in accordance with the geometry of the needle to be secured. 
     The substantially curved region  20  of instrument  100  has a proximal end  23  and a distal end  25  and a diameter smaller than that of the substantially linear region  15 . The proximal end  17  of the shaft has the handle assembly designed to facilitate manual manipulation of the device and to manipulate the suture attached to the needle to allow the needle to dock and undock from the needle docking region  20 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the distal end  25  of the needle docking region  20  is provided with an opening  22  that allows the needle  40  (with attached suture strand  50 ) to be securely positioned and oriented within the distal end  25  of the needle docking region  20 . Opening  22  is dimensioned to have an inner diameter about equal to the outer diameter of the needle  40 , to allow the needle  40  to be securely held within the docking region  20 . Advantageously, the compound curvature of region  20  prevents the needle  40  from rotating substantially after insertion, allowing the surgeon to easily pronate and manipulate the mounted needle through tissue. The edges of opening  22  are preferably beveled so that they do not abrade the suture as it is pulled through the instrument. 
     The shaft or body assembly  10  of the suturing instrument  100  may have a round or oval cross-sectional shape. The needle docking region  20  of the shaft or body assembly  10  is formed of a rigid, medically acceptable metal or plastic material, preferably stainless steel. The linear region  15  of the body assembly  10  may be also formed of stainless steel or diamond knurl, and is surrounded by the handle assembly  30 . Preferably, the needle docking region  20  has a length of about 0.5 cm to about 3 cm, preferably about 1 cm. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the needle docking region  20  is substantially curved, in that about 60 to 100%, more preferably of about 80 to 100%, of its length is curved relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly  30 . 
     A handle assembly  30  is provided at proximal end  17  of the substantially straight or linear region  15 . The handle assembly  30  has a proximal end  33  and a distal end  31 . The handle assembly  30  is also cannulated to allow the suture strand  50  to freely pass through it and out the proximal end  33  of handle  30 . The outer diameter of the shaft assembly  10  is smaller than the inner diameter of the handle  30  and is securely fixed within the handle  30 . The handle  30  is provided with a plurality of protuberances  32  of various configurations and sizes, to allow easy manipulation by a surgeon. 
     An indentation or notch  35 , preferably a V-shaped notch, is provided at the proximal end  33  of the handle assembly  30 . As described below, the V-shaped notch allows the suture strand  50  that exits the proximal end  33  of the handle to be received and secured within the notch during suturing. A suture cleat  36  is provided adjacent the V-shaped notch  35  and allows the suture strand to wrap around the suture cleat  36  and to be additionally secured. Preferably, the suture cleat  36  has a raised configuration relative to the protuberances  32  of the handle  30 , to allow a user to easily identify the suture cleat and, accordingly, the position of the V-shaped notch  35 . 
     Providing the suture cleat  36  in close proximity to the V-shaped notch  35  allows a user to easily maneuver the suture prior to the suturing procedure and to optionally secure it around the suture cleat. Additionally, once the suture strand is secured within the V-shaped notch  35  and optionally wrapped around the suture cleat  36 , the user can easily assess the position of tip  41  of the docked needle relative to the tissue to be pierced and sutured, especially in procedures where the user&#39;s visibility is reduced. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in the “docked” position, needle  40  is secured within the distal end  22  of the needle docking region  20  so that it does not rotate relative to its axis during surgery. Thus, in the “docked” position, needle  40  is docked within the distal end  22  of the needle docking region  20  and also locked within the distal end  22  so it cannot move and/or rotate in any direction. Conversely, in the “undocked” position, needle  40  is not docked within the distal end  22  of the needle docking region  20 , but rather rests along the side of the needle docking region  20  being able to freely rotate and move in any direction. 
     Needle  40  may be curved or hooked. Preferably, in the “docked” position, about half the curved length of the needle  40  is housed within the corresponding curved distal end  22  of the needle docking region  20 , to assist in surgically manipulating the docked needle. Needle  40  is held in place at the distal end  22  of the instrument  100  by wedging flexible strand of suture  50  into the V-shaped notch  35  formed at the proximal end  33  of the handle  30 . The needle  40  may be secured to the suture  50  by crimping, for example, although many other methods of securing the needle to the suture could be used. 
     During surgery, the surgical instrument  100  with the needle  40  in the undocked position is introduced through a cannula and passed into a surgical site so that the needle  40  is brought into the proximity of tissue  90  ( FIG. 2 ) to be repaired. As the needle  40  is maintained in the undocked position, the advance of the instrument  100  through the cannula, with the needle aside the shaft of the instrument, is easily facilitated. Once the undocked needle  40  is passed through the cannula, needle  40  is secured in the docked position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , by pulling proximally the suture strand  50  and securing the suture strand  50  within the V-shaped notch  35  and optionally around the suture cleat  36  of the handle  30 . By pulling proximally the suture strand  50  and securing the suture around the V-shaped notch  35 , the needle  40  is tightly secured within the needle docking region  20  so that it cannot rotate within the needle docking region  20  and relative to its axis. 
     With the needle  40  secured in the docked position, the handle  30  of instrument  100  is manipulated such that tip  41  of the docked needle  40  pierces through tissue  90 . The needle is undocked by releasing the suture  50  from the V-shaped notch  35  on handle  30 , and drawing back on the instrument handle. As the instrument handle  30  and shaft  10  are withdrawn from the surgical site, needle  40  separates from the needle docking region  20 , with the suture  50  remaining in place and attached to needle  40 , ready for subsequent suturing steps. For example, end loop  52  of the suture  50  may be employed to shuttle a limb of another strand of suture (which, for example, may be attached to a suture anchor) and to introduce it though a lateral cannula to facilitate tying of that suture limb. 
     The surgical instrument  100  of the present invention described above with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be employed for suturing during various surgical medical procedures. For example, the suturing instrument  100  may be employed in endoscopic and arthroscopic procedures, including but not limited to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, meniscal repair, and any orthopaedic procedure that requires manipulation of suture through soft tissue, for example. Additionally, the instrument  100  may be utilized in other general surgical and specialty procedures that require suturing at a remote site, such as inside the body. The instrument of the present invention may be also used in repairs where suture visibility or finger access can be limited. 
     The above description and drawings illustrate preferred embodiments which achieve the objects, features and advantages of the present invention. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to the illustrated embodiments. Any modification of the present invention which comes within the spirit and scope of the following claims should be considered part of the present invention.