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

US8460321B2 · 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: Mar 4, 2011
• Grant date: Jun 11, 2013
• Expiry date: Aug 9, 2031

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.