Patent ID: 7753923

Claim:
A method of suturing heart valve leaflets of a patient, said method comprising: providing a suturing tool having an inner shaft, an outer shaft slidably disposed over the inner shaft and having a longitudinal axis, first and second needles removably coupled to the inner shaft, and a length of suture coupled to the first and second needles; advancing the inner and outer shafts through vasculature of the patient so that the needles are adjacent the valve leaflets; drawing the valve leaflets into first and second leaflet receptacles, the leaflet receptacles formed between the needles and an outer wall of the inner shaft; advancing the first and the second needles into first and second needle receptacles, the first and second needle receptacles comprising channels disposed in a sidewall of the outer shaft; releasably locking each one of the needles with a needle catch coupled to the outer shaft near a distal end thereof, wherein each of the needle catches comprise a detent mechanism cooperating with one of the needles; piercing the valve leaflets with the first and the second needles by linearly retracting the needles in a proximal direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer shaft; releasing the first and the second needles from the inner shaft; passing the first and second needles and the length of suture through the valve leaflets; and securing the suture so as to affix the valve leaflets to one another.