Blood vessel suturing apparatus

Claim 2

A clamp assembly for positioning blood vessels to be interconnected, said clamp assembly comprising first positioning means for engaging one end portion of a blood vessel, said first positioning means including first suction means adapted to apply suction to said one end portion of a blood vessel to thereby hold said one end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape, second positioning means for engaging another end portion of a blood vessel, said second positioning means including second suction means adapted to apply suction to said other end portion of a blood vessel to thereby hold said other end portion to a blood vessel in a predetermined shape generally similar to the shape of said one end portion of a blood vessel, said first and second suction means each including means for applying suction to said end portions in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel so that the ends of said end portions flare outwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel, and support means for supporting said first and second positioning means for relative movement therebetween and locating said first and second positioning means in a relationship relative to each other in which said one end portion of a blood vessel and said other end portion of a blood vessel are adjacently located, said means for locating said first and second positioning means being adapted to retain the flared end portions in abutting engagement disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel to facilitate interconnecting said end portions.

Claim 3

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including first valve means for controlling the amount of suction applied to said one end portion of a blood vessel by said first suction means and second valve means for controlling the amount of suction applied to said other end portion of a blood vessel by said second suction means to thereby enable the amount of suction applied to each of said end portions to be independently regulated.

Claim 4

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second positioning means each include a sleeve having a generally cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom to form a manifold having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration with a plurality of passages formed in said inner wall and extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel between said manifold and an interior portion of said sleeve, said manifold being operable to apply suction to an outer surface of an end portion of a blood vessel located in said sleeve to hold a substantial portion of the end portion of the blood vessel in a generally cylindrical shape while said means for applying suction to said end portion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel holds the end of said end portion flared outwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blood vessel.

Claim 5

A clamp assembly as defined in claim 3 further including means cooperable with said generally cylindrical inner wall to reduce the cross-sectional area defined by said interior portion of said sleeve and in which a blood vessel is adapted to be held to thereby enable said clamp assembly to be utilized with blood vessels of various diameters.

Claim 6

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said sleeve includes first and second interconnected sections, said sections being relatively movable between an open condition in which ends of said sections are spaced apart to enable the end portion of a blood vessel to be readily positioned between said sections and a closed condition in which the ends of said sections are positioned in engagement to circumscribe the end portion of a blood vessel.

Claim 7

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including hinge means for pivotally interconnecting said sections and actuator means for selectively oPerating said sections between said open and closed conditions.

Claim 8

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 6 further including said means mounted on the ends of said sections for sealing a joint between said sections when said sections are in said open condition.

Claim 9

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting and locating said first and second positioning means includes fluid conduit means connected at one end to said first positioning means and at another end to said second positioning means, said fluid conduit means being adapted to be connected to a source of low pressure to thereby enable said first and second suction means to apply suction to the end portions of blood vessels.

Claim 10

A clamp assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said ends of said fluid conduit means are resiliently interconnected and tend to assume a first position, said means for locating said first and second positioning means further including latch means for holding said ends of said fluid conduit means in a predetermined relationship with each other against the influence of said resilient interconnection to thereby retain said one end portion of a blood vessel in engagement with another end portion of a blood vessel.

Claim 11

A clamp assembly for positioning blood vessels to be interconnected, said clamp assembly comprising first positioning means for engaging one end portion of the blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said one end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape, second positioning means for engaging another end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said other end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape generally similar to the shape of said one end portion of the blood vessel, and means for locating said first and second positioning means in a relationship relative to each other in which said one end portion of the blood vessel and said other end portion of a blood vessel are adjacent to thereby facilitate interconnecting said end portions, said first positioning means including means for applying suction to said one end portion of the blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare said one end portion outwardly, said second positioning means including means for applying suction to said other end portion of a blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare said other end portion outwardly, said means for locating said first and second positioning means being adapted to retain the flared end portions in abutting engagement, said first and second positioning means each including a sleeve having a generally cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom to form a manifold having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration with a plurality of passages formed in said inner wall and extending between said manifold and an interior portion of said sleeve, said manifold being adapted to be connected to a source of low pressure to thereby apply suction to an outer surface of an end portion of a blood vessel located in said sleeve to hold the end portion of the blood vessel in a generally cylindrical shape.

Claim 12

A clamp assembly for positioning blood vessels to be interconnected, said clamp assembly comprising first positioning means for engaging one end portion of the blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said one end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape, second positioning means for engaging another end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said other end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape generally similar to the shape of said one end portion of the blood vessel, and means for locating said first and second positioning means in a relationship relative to each other in which said one end portion of the blood vessel and said other end portion of a blood vessel are adjacent to thereby facilitate interconnecting said end portions, said first positioning means including means for applying suction to said one end portion of the blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare said one end portion outwardly, said second positioning means including means for applying suction to said other end portion of a blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare said other end portion outwardly, said means for locating said first and second positioning means being adapted to retain the flared end portions in abutting engagement, said first and second positioning means each including a sleeve having a generally cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom to form a manifold having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration with a plurality of passages formed in said inner wall and extending between said manifold and an interior portion of said sleeve, said manifold being adapted to be connected to a source of low pressure to thereby apply suction to an outer surface of an end portion of a blood vessel located in said sleeve to hold the end portion of the blood vessel in a generally cylindrical shape.

Claim 13

A clamp assembly for positioning blood vessels to be interconnected, said clamp assembly comprising first positioning means for engaging one end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said one end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape, second positioning means for engaging another end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said other end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape generally similar to the shape of said one end portion of a blood vessel, and means for locating said first and second positioning means in a relationship relative to each other in which said one end portion of a blood vessel and said other end portion of a blood vessel are adjacent to thereby facilitate interconnecting said end portions, said first and second positioning means each including a sleEve having a generally cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom to form a manifold having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration with a plurality of passages formed in said inner wall and extending between said manifold and an interior portion of said sleeve, said manifold being adapted to be connected to a source of low pressure to thereby apply suction to an outer surface of an end portion of a blood vessel located in said sleeve to hold the end portion of the blood vessel in a generally cylindrical shape, said sleeve having an end wall interconnecting said inner and outer walls, said end wall having a plurality of passages therein connected in fluid communication with said manifold for applying suction to the end portion of a blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare the end portion of a blood vessel outwardly.

Claim 14

A clamp assembly for positioning blood vessels to be interconnected, said clamp assembly comprising first positioning means for engaging one end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said one end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape, second positioning means for engaging another end portion of a blood vessel and applying suction thereto to thereby hold said other end portion of a blood vessel in a predetermined shape generally similar to the shape of said one end portion of a blood vessel, and means for locating said first and second positioning means in a relationship relative to each other in which said one end portion of a blood vessel and said other end portion of a blood vessel are adjacent to thereby facilitate interconnecting said end portions, said first and second positioning means each including a sleEve having a generally cylindrical inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom to form a manifold having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration with a plurality of passages formed in said inner wall and extending between said manifold and an interior portion of said sleeve, said manifold being adapted to be connected to a source of low pressure to thereby apply suction to an outer surface of an end portion of a blood vessel located in said sleeve to hold the end portion of the blood vessel in a generally cylindrical shape, said sleeve having an end wall interconnecting said inner and outer walls, said end wall having a plurality of passages therein connected in fluid communication with said manifold for applying suction to the end portion of a blood vessel in such a manner as to tend to flare the end portion of a blood vessel outwardly.