REMOTELY-RELOADABLE SUTURING DEVICE

摘要

A surgical instrument comprises an elongated body member having a distal end and a head extending from the distal end of the elongated body member, with the head comprising a remotely actuatable needle driver and a needle catch. A needle is adapted for receiving a suture and for being driven by the needle driver through a tissue into the needle catch, making a stitch. The instrume nt further comprises a remotely actuable implement, such as a push bar, for moving the needle from a first position lodged in the needle catch to a seco nd position dislodged from or able to be readily dislodged from the needle catc h. The instrument may be used for placing multiple stitches without removing th e instrument from the body. One particularly advantageous embodiment comprises a suturing device adapted for insertion in a body lumen, such as for attaching an endoluminal device to the lumen wall.