Patent ID: 8267948

Claim:
An apparatus for closing a tear in a meniscus comprising: a housing for holding a suture, the suture having a leading portion and a trailing portion, the leading portion of the suture having a region of larger diameter; a first needle mounted to the housing for carrying the suture through the meniscus, the first needle having a slot at its distal end in which is initially retained the leading portion of the suture and through which the suture may be advanced after the first needle is advanced into and through the meniscus, and an outside surface of the trailing portion of the suture is initially laterally spaced from an outside surface of the first needle; a second needle mounted to the housing and adapted to receive the leading portion of the suture at the far side of the meniscus from the first needle after the second needle is advanced through the meniscus, the second needle further adapted to carry the suture back to the near side of the meniscus as the second needle is retracted back through the meniscus; a driver associated with the first needle for ejecting the suture from the first needle after the suture is advanced by the first needle through the meniscus to the far side of the meniscus, the driver being laterally spaced from the suture such that the driver and the suture are side-by-side; and a pre-formed, uncinched knot through which the leading portion of the suture may be disposed for forming a suture loop.