Patent EP0174843A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0174843A2
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EP
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Sewing machine
Assignee: University College London
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Filing: 1985-09-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-11
Abstract
Abstract A sewing machine for forming stitches in a substrate (16, 116), for example in forming stitches in tissue during surgery, comprises a needle (6; 106; 20, 30) for passing thread (9,109,24) into the substrate from one side thereof at a first location and for withdrawing the thread from the substrate at a second location spaced from the first location. The needle is removably operable solely from the said one side of the substrate. A stapling machine is also disclosed operating on similar principles for similar purposes.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy Noel Mills
- 👤 Christopher Paul Swain
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:32
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/04; A61B17/0469; A61B17/064; A61B17/0644; A61B17/068; A61B1/00; A61B1/012; A61B1/018; A61B17/30; A61B2017/306; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S112/00; Y10S112/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A sewing machine for forming stitches in a substrate, comprising thread-carrying means for passing a thread into the substrate from one side thereof at a first location and for withdrawing the thread from the substrate at a second location spaced from the first location, the said means being remotely operable solely from the said one side of the substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
A sewing machine for forming stitches in a substrate, comprising thread-carrying means for passing a thread into the substrate from one side thereof at a first location and for withdrawing the thread from the substrate at a second location spaced from the first location, the said means being remotely operable solely from the said one side of the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
A machine according to claim 1, comprising means defining a slot open towards the substrate, and means for drawing a double layer of the substrate into the slot, the thread-carrying means being disposed for movement from a retracted position to an extended position, in which movement it carries a loop of the thread into and through the said double layer, and further comprising means for catching the said loop after it has been passed through the double layer of substrate and holding the said loop while the thread-carrying means is withdrawn to the retracted position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A machine according to claim 2, wherein the catching means is movable from a catching position to a position in which the loop caught thereby is positioned so that subsequent movement of the thread-carrying means from said retracted position to said extended position carries a further loop of thread through the previously caught loop.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine according to claim 2 or 3, comprising a channel communicating with said slot for supplying suction thereto to effect the said drawing in of the double layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
5-. A..machine according to claim 4, comprising a block having distal and proximal ends, the block defining a compartment adjacent the distal end housing the catching means, said slot being defined in the block on the proximal side of the compartment, said suction-supplying channel being defined in the block on the proximal side of the slot, a further channel being defined on the proximal side of the slot and communicating with the slot, said thread-carrying means being slidably received therein for movement between said retracted position, in which the thread-carrying means is substantially wholly within said further channel, and said extended position, in which the thread-carrying means extends across said slot into said compartment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A machine according to claim 5, wherein control means for controlling the catching means extend through the suction-supplying channel and across said slot into said compartment to connect with the catching means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A machine according to claim 6, wherein said control means comprises a flexible wire, and wherein the machine further comprises a further flexible wire for moving the thread-carrying means between the retracted and extended positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
77 words
8 . A machine according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the catching means comprises a shoe resiliently mounted in the compartment for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the length of the block, and a hook pivotally mounted at one end on the shoe and movable by said control means between a position in which the other end thereof is in contact with the shoe and a position in which there is no such contact.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
123 words
A machine according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the catching means comprises a pair of arms defining a U, the U-shaped member being mounted in the compartment for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the length of the block and a pair of resilient members each extending from a respective one of said arms, the resilient members converging towards one another adjacent the outward ends thereof, the U-shaped member being movable by said control means between an outward position in which, when the thread-carrying means is in its extended position both resilient members are closely adjacent the thread-carrying means on the same side thereof, and an inward position in which the resilient members are located inwardly of the thread- carrying means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A machine according to any of claims 5 to 9, wherein the block is formed of a plurality of disconnectible modules located face to face, one of said modules being a module defining said slot.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A machine according to any of claims 5 to 10, wherein proximally of the slot the block is transparent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A machine according to any of claims 5 to ll,further comprising mirror located in the said slot and angled with respect to a line extending between the proximal and distal ends of the block.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
A machine according to claim 1, comprising means for holding said substrate, first and second needles guided for movement along the axis thereof and arranged so that said axes intersect at a point located away from said substrate on the opposite side thereof to said one side thereof, means on each needle for holding a loop of thread and for catching the loop of thread held by the other needle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A machine according to claim 13, wherein the thread-holding and thread-catching means comprises an opening formed in the needle and a slot communicating with said opening and providing access thereto.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A machine according to claim 14, wherein each needle is rotatable about the axis thereof between a thread-transporting position and a thread-releasing position at 90° thereto in which the other needle can remove the thread transported thereto.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A machine according to any preceding claim, mounted on an end of an endoscope.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
A stapling machine for inserting a staple in a substrate, comprising means defining a slot open towards the substrate, the slot being configured to receive at least one staple having opposite end portions which are spaced from one another to define a gap therebetween, means for drawing a double layer of the substrate into the slot and through said gap, and means for forcing one of said staple end portions through the double layer of substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
76 words
A stapling machine for inserting a staple in a substrate, comprising means defining a slot open towards the substrate, the slot being configured to receive at least one staple having opposite end portions which are spaced from one another to define a gap therebetween, means for drawing a double layer of the substrate into the slot and through said gap, and means for forcing one of said staple end portions through the double layer of substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
57 words
A machine according to claim 17, comprising an anvil disposed in the slot adjacent the other of said staple end portions and arranged so that when said one staple end portion is driven through the double layer of substrate it strikes the anvil and is deformed thereby into a position closely adjacent said other staple end portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A machine according to claim 17 or 18; comprising a channel communicating with said slot for supplying suction thereto to effect said drawing in of the double layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
2 0 . A machine according to any of claims 17 to 19, mounted on an end of an endoscope.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
74 words
A guillotine for use in severing a thread, comprising a tube, a leg extending from one end of the tube and having an inwardly directed end portion with longitudinal slot formed therein, and a blade mounted on mounting means which are arranged to move longitudinally within the tube between a forward portion in which the blade passes through said longitudinal slot and rearward position in which the blade is spaced from the longitudinal slot.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
74 words
A guillotine for use in severing a thread, comprising a tube, a leg extending from one end of the tube and having an inwardly directed end portion with longitudinal slot formed therein, and a blade mounted on mounting means which are arranged to move longitudinally within the tube between a forward portion in which the blade passes through said longitudinal slot and rearward position in which the blade is spaced from the longitudinal slot.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
A guillotine according to claim 21, comprising a catheter tube, the said mounting means being arranged to slide within the catheter tube and the tube which has the said leg being fixedly mounted on the exterior of the catheter tube.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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