Suture and retainer assembly and SULU

1. A method of applying a surgical fastener, comprising:

clamping tissue between a needle cartridge having needles and a retainer cartridge having retainers;

driving each of the needles out of the needle cartridge and into a respective retainer of the retainers, each needle drawing a length of a suture in a first direction through the clamped tissue and through a tortured path section defined by the respective retainer, the tortured path section inhibiting the length of the suture disposed within the tortured path section from moving in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

separating the needle cartridge from the retainer cartridge to withdraw the needles from the retainers and to separate the retainers from the retainer cartridge.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising securing the needle cartridge to a surgical instrument, wherein the needle cartridge is removably secured to an end effector of the surgical instrument.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein driving each of the needles draws the length of the suture from a suture cartridge.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising securing the retainer cartridge to a surgical instrument.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each needle is driven into its respective retainer in a plurality of rows.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each needle is driven into its respective retainer and engages the suture, and wherein the suture, the needles, and the retainers define at least one row.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the needles are driven so that each retainer is engaged with two of the needles.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising cutting the tissue.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the needles are driven into holes defined in the retainers.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein driving each of the needles includes camming the needles from the needle cartridge.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tortured path section inhibits the length of the suture from moving in the second direction by pinching a portion of the length of the suture.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising withdrawing each needle from its respective retainer to separate the suture from the needle.

13. A method of securing tissue, comprising:

clamping tissue between a retainer cartridge and a needle cartridge;

driving a first needle out of the needle cartridge and through a first retainer of the retainer cartridge to draw a first length of a suture through the first retainer, the first length of the suture retained in the first retainer by a tortured configuration defined by the first retainer which prevents any of the first length of the suture drawn through the tortured configuration of the first retainer from withdrawing from the first retainer through the tortured configuration; and

separating the retainer cartridge from the needle cartridge to withdraw the first needle from the first retainer and to separate the first retainer from the retainer cartridge.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

driving a second needle out of the needle cartridge and through a second retainer of the retainer cartridge to draw a second length of the suture through the second retainer, the second length of the suture being retained in the second retainer by a tortured configuration defined by the second retainer which prevents any of the second length of the suture drawn through the tortured configuration of the second retainer from withdrawing from the second retainer through the tortured configuration; and

wherein separating the retainer cartridge from the needle cartridge includes withdrawing the second needle from the second retainer and separating the second retainer from the retainer cartridge.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising repeating driving and withdrawing for each of a plurality of needles such that each needle of the plurality of needles draws a length of the suture through a respective retainer of a plurality of retainers such that the length of the suture is retained in a tortured configuration defined by the respective retainer of the plurality of retainers which prevents any of the suture drawn through the tortured configuration from withdrawing from the respective retainer of the plurality of retainers and separates each of the respective retainers from the retainer cartridge.

16. A method of securing tissue, comprising:

clamping tissue between a retainer cartridge and a needle cartridge;

driving a first needle out of the needle cartridge and through a first retainer of the retainer cartridge to draw a first length of a suture through the clamped tissue, a second needle out of the needle cartridge and through a second retainer of the retainer cartridge to draw a second length of the suture through the clamped tissue, and a third needle out of the needle cartridge and through a third retainer of the retainer cartridge to draw a third length of the suture through the clamped tissue, each of the first, second, and third lengths of the suture retained in the first, second, and third retainers, respectively by a tortured configuration defined by each of the first, second, and third retainers which prevents any of the first, second, and third lengths of the suture drawn through the tortured configuration from withdrawing from the respective retainer, the first, second, and third retainers coupled to the retainer cartridge in an initial configuration of the retainer cartridge; and

withdrawing the first, second, and third needles from the first, second, and third retainers, respectively.