Devices, tools and methods for performing minimally invasive abdominal surgical procedures

US7976554B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Vibrynt, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Matthew Newell · Reno, US
• Pankaj Rathi · Mountain View, US
• Robert M. George · San Jose, US
• Marlo Dreissigacker · Redwood City, US
• Narvel M. Brooks, III · Minneapolis, US
• Shuji Uemura · San Francisco, US
• Theodore M. Bender · San Anselmo, US
• Joshua Makower · Los Altos, US
• Dane A. Johnson · San Francisco, US
• Brian K. Shiu · Sunnyvale, US
• Pablo Acosta · Newark, US
• Timothy A. Limon · Cupertino, US
• Beverly Huss · Menlo Park, US
• Crystine Lee · Vallejo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 28, 2009
• Grant date: Jul 12, 2011
• Expiry date: Dec 23, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M25/0068
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices and assemblies are provided for treating a patient by: making an incision or puncture though the patient's skin over the abdominal cavity; establishing an initial tract through an opening formed by the incision or puncture; advancing an instrument through the tract; contacting a distal end portion of the instrument against an inner surface of the abdominal cavity; driving at least one stitching needle through the inner surface of the abdominal cavity, continuing the driving until the at least one stitching needle exits the inner surface of the abdominal cavity, anchoring a suture carried by each of the at least one stitching needle to a suture anchor at an exit location, respectively; and applying tension to each of the sutures.