Endoscopic suture system

摘要

A suturing device includes a shouldered surgical needle where the shoulder has a cross sectional transverse dimension. A suture is attached to a distal portion of the needle. A needle catch having a flexible aperture with a relaxed dimension which is smaller than the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder allows insertion of the needle into the flexible aperture by expansion of the flexible aperture to a stretched dimension which is substantially equal to the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder. The shoulder on the needle prevents removal of the needle from the flexible aperture in a direction which is the reverse of its direction of insertion into the flexible aperture. A removal aperture may be positioned adjacent to and contiguous with the flexible aperture where the removal aperture has a dimension which is larger than the cross sectional transverse dimension of the shoulder, thereby allowing the needle and attached suture to be removed from the needle catch when the needle and attached suture are moved from the flexible aperture to the removal aperture.