Suture and retainer assembly and sulu
A suturing system for receiving and retaining a suture is disclosed and includes a suture, at least one retainer, and at least one needle. Each needle is able to receive and removably retain the suture within a groove located in a tapered end. The retainer has a body that defines an aperture therethrough. The shape of the aperture is formed by a central passageway, and a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending radially outward from the central passageway. The central passageway is sized to allow passage of the needle therethrough. Each slot defines a tortured path section that permits passage of the suture in a first direction and inhibits passage of the suture in a second direction.
1. A surgical suturing instrument, comprising:
a handle assembly having an actuation mechanism;
an elongate member extending from the handle assembly, the actuation mechanism extending through the elongate member;
an end effector including a retainer cartridge and a suture cartridge arranged to clamp tissue therebetween;
a plurality of needles and at least one suture disposed in the suture cartridge; and
a plurality of retainers disposed in the retainer cartridge, the actuation mechanism being arranged to drive the needles out of the suture cartridge and into the retainers to thereby retain the at least one suture with the retainers, each retainer having a body defining a slot with a tortured path section, the at least one suture being conformable in the tortured path section.
2. The instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the suture cartridge is removably secured to the end effector.
3. The instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the suture cartridge and the retainer cartridge are removable and replaceable.
4. The instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retainers is arranged in rows.
5. The instrument according to claim 4 , wherein there is one suture for each row of retainers.
6. The instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of needles is arranged in rows, of the plurality of needles corresponding to the plurality of retainers.
7. The instrument according to claim 6 , further comprising a knife slot defined in the suture cartridge.
8. The instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the needles each have a groove for receiving the suture.
9. The instrument according to claim 8 , wherein the retainers have at least one hole for receiving at least one needle.
10. The instrument according to claim 9 , wherein the retainers are separable from the retainer cartridge.
11. The instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising a cam member disposed in the suture cartridge for acting upon a needle base to move the needles and extend the needles from the suture cartridge, the cam member being responsive to the actuation mechanism.