LAPAROSCOPIC CANNULA WITH SUTURING CAPABILITY

摘要

A cannula for use in laparoscopic surgery has a central passage which may accept a trocar to create a laparoscopic incision in a body wall to an inner body cavity. A tubular section of the cannula is then pressed into the incision to form a port. After completion of the operation a needle having a blunt distal end with a suture-engaging notch surrounded by a sheath with a sharpened edge is pressed through inclined passages in the side walls of the cannula so as to extend into the body tissue on one side of the cannula and into the body cavity, carrying the suture which is then grasped by an instrument to remove the suture and join it to a needle projecting from the opposite side of the cannula. The needle is then withdrawn so the suture may be knotted on the outer side of the body wall.

主权项

1. A cannula for use in laparoscopic surgery performed through a wall of a body cavity, the cannula comprising:
an elongated tubular section having interior walls open at both its proximal and distal ends and having a central axis; a first passage through the walls of the tubular section, inclined with respect to the central axis, the first passage having a first opening through the wall of the tubular section adjacent the proximal end of the tubular section, and a second opening through the wall of the tubular section adjacent to the distal end of the tubular section at a position on the tubular wall diametrically opposed to the position of the first opening, the first and second openings being aligned so that a first straight suture needle having a sheath with a distal cutting edge may be passed through both the first and second openings with the section of the needle intermediate the first and second openings transversing the interior of the tubular section and with the distal end of the needle projecting out of the second opening and through the wall of the body cavity; a first valve disposed in the first passage which may be placed in an open position to allow clearance for the needle or a closed position, when the needle is not in the first passage, to block the flow of gases through the first passage; a conduit extending through the wall of the tubular section to connect to an insufflation gas source at the exterior of the wall at one end and the interior of the tubular wall at its other end; a second valve disposed in said conduit; and a gas valve extending across the interior of the tubular section on the proximal side of the connection between the conduit and the interior of the tubular section; whereby the cannula can be used as a guide for a trocar to form an incision through the wall of the body cavity so that the cannula may be inserted through the incision, allowing the body cavity to be insufflated through said conduit in the body cavity, as a laparoscopic entry port, and as a device to allow suturing the cavity closed using the needle.