Ratchet Controlled Circular Needle Driver

1 . A surgical suturing device, comprising:

an arced needle comprising a length of suture;

a needle driver operable to engage and rotate the needle in a circular path, the needle driver reciprocating between a drive stoke wherein the needle is rotated and a return stroke;

a trigger operably connected to the needle driver, wherein moving the trigger in a first direction actuates the needle driver through its drive stroke, and moving the trigger in a second direction actuates the needle driver through its return stroke; and

a ratchet mechanism preventing the trigger from moving in the second direction until the needle driver has been actuated through the drive stroke.

2 . The surgical suturing device of claim 1 , wherein the drive stroke rotates the needle through an angular arc.

3 . The surgical suturing device of claim 2 , wherein the angular arc is about 180 degrees.

4 . The surgical suturing device of claim 1 , wherein the needle is restrained from rotating during the return stroke.

5 . The surgical suturing device of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises a pawl and a rack, the rack comprising a first end, a second end, and the length extending between the first and second ends.

6 . The surgical suturing device of claim 5 , wherein the rack comprises a plurality of teeth along the length.

7 . The surgical suturing device of claim 5 , wherein the pawl pivots between a first trailing oblique angle relative the rack in the first direction and a second trailing oblique angle relative the rack in the second direction.

8 . The surgical suturing device of claim 7 , wherein the pawl pivots between the first and second trailing oblique angles upon reaching the first and second ends, respectively.

9 . The surgical suturing device of claim 5 , wherein the pawl resets upon reaching the first and second ends of the rack.

10 . The surgical suturing device of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet mechanism is bi-directional preventing the trigger from moving in the first direction until the needle driver has been actuated through the return stroke.

11 . A surgical suturing device, comprising:

an arced needle comprising a length of suture;

a needle driver operable to engage and rotate the needle in a circular path, the needle driver reciprocating between a drive stoke wherein the needle is rotated about 180 degrees and return stroke where the needle is constrained from rotating;

a trigger operably connected to the needle driver, wherein moving the trigger in a first direction actuates the needle driver through its drive stroke, and moving the trigger in a second direction actuates the needle driver through its return stroke; and

a bi-directional ratchet mechanism connected to the trigger, the bi-directional ratchet mechanism prevents the trigger from moving in the second direction until the needle driver has been actuated through the drive stroke, and prevents the trigger from moving in the first direction until the needle driver has been actuated through the return stroke.

12 . The surgical suturing device of claim 11 , wherein the bi-directional ratchet mechanism comprises a pawl and a rack, the rack comprising a first end, a second end, and the length extending between the first and second ends.

13 . The surgical suturing device of claim 12 , wherein the pawl resets upon reaching the first and second ends of the rack.

14 . The surgical suturing device of claim 12 , wherein the rack comprises a plurality of teeth along the length.