Patent ID: 7316694

Claim:
A suturing apparatus, comprising: a body; a J-shaped needle having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the needle is attached to the body and comprises an elongated, straight portion of the J-shape, a first central axis is located within the proximal end of the needle, the distal end of the needle having comprising a tapered needle tip capable of penetrating tissue and having at least one passage to hold suture material, the tapered portion of the needle tip having a center line comprising the centroids of adjacent selected planer cross-sections of the tapered portion, each selected planar cross-section selected for having a smaller area than each proximally located planar cross-section having the same centroid as the selected planar cross-section, the distal end of the needle formed so that at least a first line is tangent to the center line and the first central axis portion; a movable arm, the movable arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the movable arm pivotally attached to the body, the distal end of the movable arm consisting of a needle tip protector and pivoting from a closed position wherein the needle tip protector contacts the needle tip to an open position wherein the movable arm pivots toward the straight elongated portion of the J-shape and no longer contacts the needle tip; and a movable part actuator, the movable part actuator operable to move the movable arm between the open position and the closed position.