A self-locking adjustable loop construction and a method of forming the construction are disclosed. The construction can include a flexible member having a first end, a second end and a first portion therebetween. The first end can be passed back through the first portion at a first point such that the first end passes through the first portion from a first side of the flexible member to a second opposite side of the flexible member. The first end can be passed through the first portion at a second point spaced apart from the first point such that the first end passes through the first portion from the second side to the first side so as to place the second end outside of the first portion.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a medical needle with which, compared to a conventionally known suture thread guide needle, puncture, handling, and perforation are easy when guiding a suture thread along a hernia orifice beneath the skin, and therefore, the medical needle enables the execution of an LPEC method using simpler procedures. The purpose is accomplished by a medical needle comprising: a loop member provided with a loop needle the distal end of which has a loop-shaped structure, and a grip part the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the loop needle; a threading member that is provided with a tubular threading needle and a tubular grip part the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the threading needle, and that is configured so that the loop member can pass through the threading member from the distal end thereof; and a puncturing member that is provided with a tubular puncture needle the distal end of which has a sharp-angled structure and a tubular grip part the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the puncture needle, and that is configured so that the threading member can pass through the puncturing member from the distal end thereof.

A suturing device with built-in needle-transfer of a double-ended needle has a first jaw element with a first needle lock device for retaining and releasing a first end of the needle; a second jaw element with a second needle lock device, wherein the jaw elements are movable between an open and closed position; and a needle-transferring mechanism for alternately transferring the needle from one of the jaw elements to the other when the jaws are moved from the open to the closed position. The needle-transferring mechanism includes a first rotatable wheel connected to the first needle lock device, the first wheel having a first wheel inner portion rigidly connected to a first wheel outer portion and a second rotatable wheel connected to the second needle lock device, said second rotatable wheel comprising a second wheel inner portion rigidly connected to a second wheel outer portion.

A suture assembly may include a needle having a cylindrical body with a sharp point on at least one end, a lumen extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, and a recess in communication with an opening to the lumen. A suture extends through the lumen and is secured within the recess of the needle by a sleeve extending over the needle.

According to one aspect, a medical device including a needle configured for use in suturing tissue is described. The needle may include a cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis extending between first and second ends of the cylindrical body. The needle may also include a lumen extending through the cylindrical body transverse to the longitudinal axis. The needle may further include a first end portion at the first end of the cylindrical body. The first end portion may include a sharp point configured to pierce tissue. An outer surface of the cylindrical body may define a first recess in communication with an opening of the lumen and configured to receive an end of a suture.

A method and device for anchoring a length of self-retaining suture. The method of anchoring includes providing for an assembly having a length of self-retaining suture and a suture insertion device. The length of suture includes at least a portion of the length having a plurality of retainers thereon extending in a first direction. The insertion device has a length and a recess to receive a portion of the suture length. The method further includes placing a portion of the suture length in the recess and inserting the device into the body of a mammal until the recess reaches a predetermined location thereby forming an insertion pathway. The method further includes retrieving the insertion device from the body by moving the insertion device in a direction substantially opposed to the insertion pathway.

The present invention relates to a needle instrument for an eye-bag relocating operation. The needle instrument includes a body unit having a rectangular cross-section and grabbed by a needle holder during the operation; a needle unit having one needle side and the other needle side on both sides of the body unit to be tapered and having round tips, wherein one needle side is formed to be duller than the other needle side; and a thread pressing and coupling unit provided on one end of the body unit and formed at a position that corresponds to to of an entire length from an end of the needle instrument and is spaced apart from the end of the body unit by 0.5 to 1 mm.

An implantable prosthetic valve has an in situ formable support structure. The valve comprises a prosthetic valve, having a base and at least one flow occluder. A first flexible component is incapable of retaining the valve at a functional site in the arterial vasculature. The first component extends proximally of the base of the valve. A second flexible component is incapable of retaining the valve at a functional site in the arterial vasculature. The second component extends distally of the base of the valve. At least one rigidity component combines with at least one of the first and second flexible components to impart sufficient rigidity to the first or second components to retain the valve at the site.

A laparoscopic suturing device is provided. The suturing device can pass a suturing needle back and forth between jaws of a jaw assembly to suture tissue at a surgical site in a minimally invasive procedure. The jaw assembly can have a pivotable jaw member in each jaw to position the jaw assembly and needle in a low-profile stowed configuration for insertion through a low diameter surgical port. The jaw assembly can be actuated by a handle assembly that provides simultaneous needle passing from a driving jaw to a receiving jaw and latching the needle within the receiving jaw in a single trigger cycle.

A wound closure system and a method of reducing the size of an open wound are disclosed. A suture line is sutured through body tissue adjacent an open wound, the suture line sutured so as to pass into the body tissue at an entry point and exit at an exit point, the suture line including a plurality of barbs extending outwardly at an acute angle with respect to a surface of the suture line. A biasing member applies a continuous pulling force on the suture line for stretching the body tissue toward the open wound, wherein the biasing member is configured to take up any slack of the suture line during stretching of the body tissue and keep the suture line taut.