Patent ID: 8241307

Claim:
A method of suture knot forming in an anatomical cavity during laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery utilizing a modified needle driver comprising: a. providing a modified needle driver comprising: a hand piece; a tubular shaft; a sliding shaft axially movable within said tubular shaft; a fixed jaw connected to a distal end of said tubular shaft; a mobile jaw connected to a distal end of said tubular shaft and connected to a distal end of said sliding shaft via a linkage mechanism, wherein said linkage mechanism converts axial movement of said sliding shaft into pivotal movement of said mobile jaw relative to said fixed jaw, wherein said pivotal movement allows said mobile jaw to open from a closed position relative to said fixed jaw to a deployed position having an angle of greater than 90 degrees relative to said fixed jaw and relative to the midline of the central axis of said modified needle driver, wherein a suture may easily slide off said distal end of said tubular shaft when said mobile jaw is in said closed position b. providing, separate from said modified needle driver, a suture with a long end having a needle attached thereto and a short end having no needle attached thereto; c. providing a second needle driver, separate from said modified needle driver; d. grasping said long end of said suture with said second needle driver in a non-dominant hand; e. placing said modified needle driver on top of said suture held by said second needle driver in said non-dominant hand; f. actuating said slidable shaft to pivot said mobile jaw to said deployed position; g. while holding said suture long end with said second needle driver, crossing said second needle driver over said tubular shaft, proximal to said mobile jaw in said deployed position; h. using said second needle driver, looping said suture around said distal end of said tubular shaft in a first direction to form a loop with said suture while said mobile jaw is in said deployed position, thereby preventing said suture from sliding off said tubular shaft; i. grasping said short end of said suture with said modified needle driver between said fixed jaw and said mobile jaw; j. with said modified needle driver, pulling said suture through said loop made around said distal end of said tubular shaft to form a first throw of a first knot; k. pulling said long end and said short end longitudinally apart with both said modified needle driver and said second needle driver to tighten said first throw of said first knot; I. repeating steps d through k one or more times to form one or more additional throws of said first knot, wherein said one or more additional throws may be formed using said first direction or a second direction, opposite to said first direction to form a locking throw, wherein if two consecutive throws are formed in said first direction then a slipknot is made which allows said suture to be snugged down before a locking throw is made in said second direction.