Surgical suturing latch

摘要

Suturing systems may comprise a cartridge and a drive unit which are detachable from each other. The cartridge often has a cartridge body, a plurality of jaws, and a cartridge interface. The drive unit has a drive unit body, a linkage, and a drive unit interface which will typically include a latch. A latch input is coupled to the latch so that a movement of the input moves the latch to the released position. The cartridge interface or the drive unit interface includes a channel while the other includes a shaft which is fittingly receivable in the channel. Opposed motions of the input and cartridge during cartridge removal avoid inadvertent detachment during use.

主权项

1. A suturing method comprising:
mounting a cartridge to a drive unit along a mounting orientation; latching the cartridge onto the drive unit; grasping a needle with a first jaw of the cartridge; cycling a linkage of the drive unit so as to alternatingly grasp the needle with the first jaw and a second jaw of the cartridge; detaching the cartridge from the drive unit by pushing at least one latch input and moving the cartridge away from the drive unit using motions along two opposing orientations; and advancing the latch input mounted to a shaft of the drive unit through a channel of the cartridge so that the latch input is accessible beyond the channel of the cartridge, and so that the pushing of the latch input transmits movement along the shaft to move a latch to a released position; wherein mounting the cartridge comprises fittingly inserting the shaft of the drive unit into the channel of the cartridge until a latch mechanism moves the latch to a latched position restraining an interface of the cartridge against an interface of the drive unit.