A surgical instrument and its method of use are disclosed. In one embodiment, the surgical instrument may include a handle and an elongated shaft assembly extending distally from the handle. The elongated shaft assembly may include an articulable portion with an articulation direction. The elongated shaft assembly may also include a tubular member with a flexible portion with a preferential bending direction and a direction of bending resistance. The tubular member may permit articulation of the elongated shaft assembly when the preferential bending direction is aligned with the articulation direction.

A device is disclosed that can pierce and hold tissue and then pass suture through tissue. The device can have a shuttle that can removably attach to a suture and jaws that can be opened and closed. A method for using the device to repeatedly pass the suture through the tissue with or without removing the suture or device from the target site is disclosed.

Various embodiments of a cartridge are disclosed, for loading a suture onto a suturing instrument and, in some embodiments, for loading a pre-tied knot formed from the suture onto the suturing instrument. The suturing instrument is typically of the type having a suture passing member defining a suture receiving passage therein. The cartridge may be operable to load the suture and/or the knot onto the suturing instrument at a point of use. In some embodiments, the cartridge defines a path for insertion thereto and withdrawal therefrom of the suturing instrument. The cartridge further comprises a seat for releasably holding a portion of a suture and a mechanism for transferring the suture from seat to the suturing instrument, various features of which are described herein.

A method for enhanced surgical navigation, and a system performing the method and displaying graphical user interfaces associated with the method. A 3D spatial map of a surgical site is generated using a 3D endoscope including a camera source and an IR scan source. The method includes detecting a needle tip protruding from an anatomy and determining a needle protrusion distance corresponding to a distance between the needle tip and a surface of the anatomy using the 3D spatial map. A position of a surgical tool in the 3D spatial map is detected and a determination is made by the system indicative of whether the needle protrusion distance is sufficient for grasping by the surgical tool. A warning is generated when it is determined that the needle protrusion distance is not sufficient for grasping by the surgical tool.

An apparatus for suturing includes an inner strut, a spiral suturing needle, a driving mechanism, a recovery mechanism, a suture-taking-up mechanism, and a suture-feeding mechanism. Grooves are distributed on periphery with respect to an axial direction of the inner strut, a path of the groove is consistent with a path of a metallic stent to be sutured, and a width of the groove matches an outer diameter of the spiral suturing needle; the spiral suturing needle is an elastic retractable structure and a length of the spiral suturing needle without deformation is longer than a length of the path of the groove, and a suturing needle tip is arranged on a head portion of the spiral suturing needle and a suture-piercing hole is arranged on a tail portion of the spiral suturing needle.

A surgical instrument system comprising a handle, a shaft, and a disposable power module is disclosed. The handle comprises a motor, a control switch, and a motor-control processor which is in communication with the control switch. In various instances, the disposable power module comprises a disposable battery and a display unit configured to indicate at least one function of the surgical instrument system.

Side bite surgical suturing instruments or portions thereof for endoscopic, laparoscopic, endoluminal, and/or transluminal suturing facilitate the use of larger needles to get a bigger bite while suturing.

A method for closing an opening in biological tissue of intra-abdominal structures, which includes the steps of (i) providing a tissue closure system that includes a suture guide sub-system for engaging tissue disposed proximate the tissue opening and a suture passer sub-system that slideably engages the suture guide sub-system, (ii) inserting the suture guide sub-system into and through a tissue opening, (iii) inserting the suture passer sub-system with a section of suture engaged thereto into and through a first tissue region, (iv) rotating the suture guide sub-system, (v) inserting the suture passer sub-system with another section of suture engaged thereto into and through a second tissue region, (vi) withdrawing suture guide sub-system, (vii) releasing both sections of the suture captured by the suture guide sub-system, and (viii) drawing both sections of the suture together, wherein the first and second tissue regions are drawn together and the tissue opening is closed.

A suturing device includes a longitudinal axis member, an operation unit, a grasp portion, a suture needle, a first engaging member, a second engaging member, a first linear member connected to the first engaging member and the operation unit and configured to switch the first engaging member and the engaging portion into an engaged state or a disengaged state, and a second linear member connected to the second engaging member and the operation unit and configured to switch the second engaging member and the engaging portion into an engaged state or a disengaged state, wherein the first and the second linear member intersect a central axis of the longitudinal axis member between the grasp portion and a distal end of the longitudinal axis member and are inserted into an insertion path to be connected to the operation unit.

A medical device for installing sutures to close an incision in tissue or human skin is disclosed. The suturing device may provide first and second arcuate needles. Once properly positioned, the first and second arcuate needles are driven through the sub-dermal layer, or alternatively through a superficial surface, of two sections of skin to be joined. This is done in arcuate fashion and at identical and symmetrical rates of angular displacement. During the driving or retraction process of the first and second arcuate needles, a suture is positioned within both the first and second sections of skin and transformed from a planar or a multi-planar serpentine orientation to a helical orientation. The resulting suturing process is thus much faster than conventional or manual suturing and results in superior wound approximation/alignment that will lead to decreased scarring compared to prior art devices.