Endoscopic suturing device and method

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A description of the preferred embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention will now be presented with reference to FIGS.
1-12.
The Surgical Suturing Apparatus Three preferred embodiments of the invention, a surgical suturing apparatus 10, useful in suturing stab wounds or narrow incisions as in the incision created by a trocar used in a laparoscopic or endoscopic surgical procedure, will be discussed.
All of these embodiments contain certain common elements, which will be described with reference to FIG.
1.
These common elements will retain the same numbering scheme throughout.
The preferred embodiments of the invention comprise a tubular body 20 having a longitudinal axis 202, an inner space 204, and a side wall 206.
In the preferred embodiments the tubular body 20 is dimensioned to pass into a trocar puncture wound or alternatively into a surgical cannula.
Therefore, a typical range of diameters 218 of tubular body 20 is 3-55 mm.
For ease of manufacturing, tubular body 20 comprises two halves 22 and 24, generally semicircular in a cross section normal to longitudinal axis 202, that when assembled form a generally cylindrical body.
The two halves 22 and 24 are affixed together via means known in the art such as complementary male and female elements 220 and 222 snap-fit together.
In an alternate assembly embodiment, the two halves may be fitted together in a bayonet-style mount, wherein the female element comprises a mating slot having a distal portion generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 202 and a generally perpendicular proximal portion.
The mating in this embodiment is accomplished by sliding the male element into the distal portion of the mating slot generally in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 202 and the rotating the halves 22 and 24 relative to each other to snap and lock the male element into the proximal portion.
Tubular body 20 (see FIG.
2) further has a first end 208 and a closed second end 210