Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A surgical instrument, for use with a needle connected to a length of a suture thread and a driver means to close a wound in a body cavity, which comprises: an elongate rod having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a face that is positioned adjacent to the wound and the second end is for manipulating the rod from a position outside of the body cavity, wherein the face of the rod has a guide means defined by a notch across the face for the suture thread and a holding means defined by a slot across the face and along a side of the rod at a depth substantially greater than a depth of the notch to receive and hold the needle connected to the length of suture thread.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A surgical instrument, for use with a needle connected to a length of a suture thread and a driver means to close a wound in a body cavity, which comprises: an elongate rod having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a face that is positioned adjacent to the wound and the second end is for manipulating the rod from a position outside of the body cavity, wherein the face of the rod has a guide means defined by a notch across the face for the suture thread and a holding means defined by a slot across the face and along a side of the rod at a depth substantially greater than a depth of the notch to receive and hold the needle connected to the length of suture thread.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the elongate rod has a circular cross-section along a longitudinal axis of the rod and wherein the face at the first end of the rod has a planar surface, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The surgical instrument of claim 2 wherein the notch extends diametrically across the face at the first end of the rod and wherein the slot is formed diametrically across the face at the first end of the rod, offset at a right angle to the notch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The surgical instrument of claim 3 wherein the notch extends along the axis of the rod to a depth of between about 0.1 and 0.2 cm and the slot extends longitudinally along the axis of the rod to a depth of between about 1 and 1.5 cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first end of the rod is made of a magnetic material that helps to hold the needle in the holding means at the first end of the rod.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
A surgical instrument, to be used with a needle connected to a length of a suture thread and a driver means thereby enabling a wound in a body cavity to be closed, which comprises: an elongate rod having a longitudinal axis and a first end to be positioned adjacent to the wound and a second end adapted for manipulating the instrument from a position outside of the cavity, wherein the face of the rod has a guide means defined by a notch across the face for the suture thread and a holding means defined by a slot across the face and along a side of the rod at a depth substantially greater than a depth of the notch to receive and hold the needle connected to the suture thread.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
129 words
A surgical instrument, to be used with a needle connected to a length of a suture thread and a driver means thereby enabling a wound in a body cavity to be closed, which comprises: an elongate rod having a longitudinal axis and a first end to be positioned adjacent to the wound and a second end adapted for manipulating the instrument from a position outside of the cavity, wherein the face of the rod has a guide means defined by a notch across the face for the suture thread and a holding means defined by a slot across the face and along a side of the rod at a depth substantially greater than a depth of the notch to receive and hold the needle connected to the suture thread.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The surgical instrument of claim 6 wherein the elongate rod has a circular cross-section along the longitudinal axis of the rod and wherein the face at the first end of the rod has a planar surface, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The surgical instrument of claim 7 wherein the notch, provided on the side of the rod, extends to the face and is positioned diametrically across the face at the first end of the rod and wherein the slot is formed diametrically across the face at the first end of the rod, offset at a right angle to the notch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The surgical instrument of claim 8 wherein the notch extends along the axis of the rod to a depth of between about 0.1 and 0.2 cm and the slot extends longitudinally along the axis of the rod to a depth of between about 1 and 1.5 cm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The surgical instrument of claim 6 wherein the first end of the rod is made of a magnetic material that helps to hold the needle in the holding means at the first end of the rod.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
398 words
A method of closing a wound in a body cavity, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a needle connected to suture thread and a surgical instrument which comprises an elongate rod having a first end positioned adjacent to the wound and a second end adapted for holding the rod outside of the body cavity, wherein the first end of the rod has a guide means for the suture thread and a holding means adapted for receiving and holding the needle connected to the suture thread; (b) providing a driver means for grasping the needle and manipulating the driver means to pull the needle through tissue on both sides of the wound so that the suture thread forms a proximal portion connected to the needle and extending form the wound, and a distal portion extending from the wound to outside the body cavity; (c) manipulating the driver means to loop the needle connected to the proximal portion of suture thread around the distal portion of the suture thread and to insert the needle into the holding means in the first end of the rod to hold the needle connected to the proximal portion of the suture thread; (d) releasing the driver means from the needle and moving the driver means around and through the loop formed in the proximal portion of the suture thread to enter the loop from a rearward direction and then grasping the needle from the holding means and moving the driver means with the needle connected to the proximal portion of the suture thread forward through the loop, thereby forming a knot in the proximal and distal portions of the suture thread adjacent the wound; (e) positioning the first end of the rod over the wound with the proximal portion of the suture thread, which is connected to the needle, tensioned by the driver means holding the needle to extend through a first end of the guide means and wit the distal portion of the suture thread tensioned from outside the body cavity to extend through a second end of the guide means, and (f) moving the rod towards the wound with the proximal and distal portions of the suture thread moving through the respective first and second ends of the guide means so that the guide means directs the knot towards the wound to tighten the knot and to help close the wound.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
398 words
A method of closing a wound in a body cavity, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a needle connected to suture thread and a surgical instrument which comprises an elongate rod having a first end positioned adjacent to the wound and a second end adapted for holding the rod outside of the body cavity, wherein the first end of the rod has a guide means for the suture thread and a holding means adapted for receiving and holding the needle connected to the suture thread; (b) providing a driver means for grasping the needle and manipulating the driver means to pull the needle through tissue on both sides of the wound so that the suture thread forms a proximal portion connected to the needle and extending form the wound, and a distal portion extending from the wound to outside the body cavity; (c) manipulating the driver means to loop the needle connected to the proximal portion of suture thread around the distal portion of the suture thread and to insert the needle into the holding means in the first end of the rod to hold the needle connected to the proximal portion of the suture thread; (d) releasing the driver means from the needle and moving the driver means around and through the loop formed in the proximal portion of the suture thread to enter the loop from a rearward direction and then grasping the needle from the holding means and moving the driver means with the needle connected to the proximal portion of the suture thread forward through the loop, thereby forming a knot in the proximal and distal portions of the suture thread adjacent the wound; (e) positioning the first end of the rod over the wound with the proximal portion of the suture thread, which is connected to the needle, tensioned by the driver means holding the needle to extend through a first end of the guide means and wit the distal portion of the suture thread tensioned from outside the body cavity to extend through a second end of the guide means, and (f) moving the rod towards the wound with the proximal and distal portions of the suture thread moving through the respective first and second ends of the guide means so that the guide means directs the knot towards the wound to tighten the knot and to help close the wound.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the elongate rod has a face at the first end of the rod that provides for a notch as the guide means and wherein a slot, which serves as the holding means is provided on a side of the rod, adjacent the first end of the rod.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the first end of the rod is made of a magnetic material that helps to hold the needle in the holding means at the first end of the rod.