Surgical device
View Patent ↗A device for automatically providing needles to a sealing apparatus for sealing a puncture in an anatomical structure, the sealing apparatus including a needle insertion lumen and a needle pusher channel having a needle pusher disposed therein. The device may include a housing coupled to the sealing apparatus and a cartridge disposed in the housing. The cartridge has a first and a second needle slot extending from a distal end of the cartridge to a proximal end of the cartridge. The first and second needle slots have first and second needles disposed, e.g., pre-loaded, therein, respectively. The cartridge is moveable, such as by a biasing element, relative to the housing between a first position in which the first needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel, and a second position in which the second needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel.
1. A device for sealing a puncture in an anatomical structure comprising:
a proximal part having a needle insertion lumen extending therethrough to a first needle opening;
a distal part having a distal lumen extending therethrough to a second needle opening, the second needle opening facing and aligned with the first needle opening across a tissue receiving gap; and
a central part coupled between the proximal and distal parts and offset from the proximal and distal portions to form the tissue receiving gap;
a needle pusher channel having a needle pusher disposed therein;
a housing coupled to the proximal part and to the needle pusher channel; and
a cartridge disposed in the housing and having a first and a second needle slot extending from a distal end of the cartridge to a proximal end of the cartridge, the first and second needle slots having first and second needles disposed therein, respectively, the cartridge being moveable relative to the housing between a first position in which the first needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel, and a second position in which the second needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element, the biasing element configured to bias the cartridge relative to the housing between the first position and the second position.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the biasing element is a spring.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the needle cartridge includes more than two needle slots, each needle slot having a needle disposed therein.
6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a flashback lumen extending through the proximal part to a fluid entry opening.
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the fluid entry opening is formed in the central part.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the central part is at least as great as a maximum cross-sectional area of the distal part.
9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the minimum cross-sectional area of the central part is substantially equal to the maximum cross-sectional area of the distal part.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the central part and the distal part are substantially tubular.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the needle insertion lumen and the distal lumen are substantially coaxial.
12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the needle pusher channel is substantially coaxial with the needle insertion lumen and the distal lumen.
13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal part and the central part are formed of a substantially rigid material.
14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the distal part includes a rigid proximal end and a flexible tube extending distally therefrom.
15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the proximal part, the central part and the proximal end of the distal part are integrally formed.
16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a suture having first and second ends attachable to the first and second needles, respectively.
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the first and second ends of the suture are different from each other.
18. The device of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the suture is a different color from the other of the first and second ends.