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.

An anchor and suture assembly is provided for use with an endoscopic suturing device with a needle holder arm. The anchor assembly includes an anchor tip and an anchor body. The anchor tip has a blunt end that may be rounded or beaded, a capture groove, a tab groove and a plug portion positioned between the capture groove and the tab groove. The anchor body has first and second ends, tip tabs, retainers for removably retaining the anchor body relative to the needle holder arm, and a suture opening. The anchor tip is fixed relative to the anchor body by plastic deformation of the tip tabs into the tab groove. A suture extends into the suture opening of the anchor body and is fixed therein.

A suture device for use in combination with a delivery system including a lumen extending through the delivery system includes a needle usable to carry a suture, a distal shuttle configured to releasably secure the needle, a sleeve disposable over the distal shuttle, the distal shuttle movable relative to the sleeve between a locked position in which the needle is locked to the distal shuttle and an unlocked position in which the needle is releasable from the distal shuttle. The suture device includes a distal assembly including an elongate tool guide movable between a deployment configuration in which the elongate tool guide is substantially parallel with the distal assembly and a working configuration in which the elongate tool guide curves away from the distal assembly.

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.

Surgical tools and kits for performing methods include a grommet with cylindrical shaft, cutting tip, annular flange with suture retaining anchoring fixture; a grommet jig for extending between adjacent grommets and guiding a needle therebetween; a family of needles with single and double pointed ends, reinforced eyelets, stops to limit inadvertent exiting, double shaft construction with a longitudinal gap and sharpened, slicing ends, including a “J” shape embodiment; a bone anchor with ring to secure sutures about a patient's clavicle; a tissue dissector having radially extending cones to nick taut connecting tissues; a tissue rasp having a series of crisscrossing grooves along an end; a tissue mesher comprising one or more blocks having a matrix of holes for clamping a plurality of needles and a supporting framework; and a kit device and a method of surgically inserting an internal mesh brassiere under the breast skin.

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.

Felt material (1) comprising a multitude of fibers (2) for use in a method of repairing or augmenting human or animal soft tissues (3), wherein the felt material (1) is in the form of a matting or felted patch (9) comprising a first surface (5) and oppositely arranged a second surface (6) for contacting a surface of soft tissue (3), and wherein some of the fibers (2) of the felted patch (9) are pushed or pulled through the second surface (6) into the soft tissue (3) by means of a needle (10) producing a connection between the felt material (1) and the soft tissue (3). Further, a set of instruments is provided which comprises a needle (10), a stitching device (30) and a clamping device (20) comprising a first jaw (21a) which is frame-like configured permitting the tip portion of the needle (10) to penetrate the first jaw (21a) and a second jaw (21b) with a cavity (29) configured to receive the tip portion of the needle (10).

A control handle for use with a suture device operable through an endoscope includes a grip attachment configured to be secured to an endoscope and a control housing operably secured to the grip attachment. A catheter housing is moveably disposed within the control housing and adapted to releasably secure the suture catheter such that translation of the catheter housing causes translation of the suture catheter. A lever is rotatably securable relative to the catheter housing such that rotation of the lever relative to the catheter housing causes the catheter housing to move relative to the control housing. A sliding tab is disposed relative to the lever such that movement of the sliding tab relative to the lever causes the suture catheter to translate relative to the control wire disposed within the suture catheter.

An endoscopic handle attachment is adapted to be secured to an endoscope having a working channel and used in combination with a suture device adapted to extend through the working channel. The attachment includes a backbone adapted to conform to an outer surface of the endoscope and that includes one or more attachment features adapted to enable releasable securement to the endoscope. A primary arm extends radially outwardly from the backbone and includes one or attachment points, at least one of the one or more attachment points adapted to releasably secure a proximal handle of the suture device such that a translation handle may be moved relative to the proximal handle without an operator needing to separately hold the proximal handle.

A loader is disclosed that can load a suture and/or a shuttle into a suture device. The loader can have a suture and/or a shuttle that can be moved (e.g., via a loader control) from a non-loaded configuration to a loaded configuration without damaging the suture or the shuttle. The shuttle can be moved from a shuttle first position to a shuttle second position. When the shuttle is in the shuttle first position, a suture device can be positionable in a device space on the loader. When the suture device is positioned in the device space, the shuttle can be moved from the shuttle first position to the shuttle second position. When the shuttle is in the shuttle first position, the shuttle can be outside the suture device. When the shuttle is in the shuttle second position, the shuttle can be inside the suture device.