Patent ID: 6893448

Claim:
An instrument for surgical suturing, comprising: a shaft; a needle disposed slidably for longitudinal travel with respect to the shaft; a prong on one end of the shaft, the prong projecting across a longitudinal axis of the needle and having an opening formed through the prong that provides a clearance through which a tip portion of the needle passes when it is advanced; and slots formed on a side of the prong facing the end of the shaft and supporting a length of suture on an inner surface of the prong facing the end of the shaft such that the suture extends across the opening formed through the prong, and a longitudinal suture channel formed on a top surface of the prong, the suture channel extending above the longitudinal axis of the needle, the suture being held in the slots by passing strands of the suture separately around sides of the prong and together through the suture channel formed on the top surface of the prong.