Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A surgical instrument for applying sutures through body tissue comprising: a) an elongate housing having a proximal end and a distal end; b) at least one curved needle; c) rotatable means associated with said elongate housing, for carrying and deploying said at least one needle, said carrying and deploying means including at least one needle carrier associated with said distal end of said elongate housing for carrying at least one needle therein, said at least one needle carrier being rotatable between a retracted position and an extended position; and d) means positioned within said elongate housing for receiving and retaining said at least one curved needle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said receiving and retaining means comprises a latch disposed at a fixed distance with respect to said distal end of said elongate housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said receiving and retaining means is replaceably mounted on said elongate housing such that said surgical instrument may be re-used upon insertion of an unused replacement receiving and retaining means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said carrying and deploying means further includes an elongate actuator rod operatively associated with said at least one needle carrier, such that said elongate actuator rod is operable from said proximal end of said elongate housing to control movement of said at least one needle carrier, said elongated actuator rod being slidably disposed within said elongated housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one needle carrier includes at least one arm member for releasably holding said at least one needle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
A surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said receiving and retaining means includes a compliant material such that said at least one needle becomes retained within said compliant material upon travel of said at least one needle through a tissue engaging path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one needle is caused to travel through a tissue engaging path in one continuous motion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A surgical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said needle carrier means includes at least one gear mechanism rotatably disposed within said elongate housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
A surgical instrument for applying sutures comprising: a) an elongate housing having a proximal end and a distal end; and b) means associated with said distal end of said elongate housing, for carrying and deploying at least two needles at a predetermined distance from each other, said carrying and deploying means being rotatable from a retracted position in a first plane to a deployed position in a second plane while maintaining said at least two needles at said predetermined distance from each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 9 further comprising needle retaining means associated with said elongate housing for receiving and retaining said at least two needles.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 10 wherein said needle retaining means includes a compliant material or includes a pair of needle receiving pockets disposed within said elongate housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 9, 10 or 11, further comprising an actuator member rotatably mounted within said elongate housing, said actuator member operatively associated with said carrying and deploying means such that said actuator member is operable from said proximal end of said elongate housing to move said carrying and deploying means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
A surgical instrument according to claim 12 wherein said actuator member is operable between a first position and a second position to respectively retract and deploy said carrying and deploying means, said surgical instrument further comprising a lock-out mechanism for releasably retaining said actuator member at each of said first and said second positions.