Suture needle packages for loading suture needles and methods of passing suture needles through trocars

Abstract

A system for aligning a needle driver with a tip of a suture needle includes a suture needle package having a base, a needle driver alignment guide, and at least one connector for securing the suture needle. The needle driver alignment guide has first and second lateral guide walls that oppose one another for defining a needle driver guide channel. An end wall interconnects the first and second lateral guide walls for defining a distal end of the needle driver alignment guide. The at least one connector secures the suture needle over the base and controls the orientation of the suture needle so that a tip of the suture needle is located within the suture needle guide channel and is bounded by the end wall and the first and second lateral guide walls. A needle driver has a clamping assembly at a distal end that engages the end wall of the needle driver alignment guide for aligning the clamping assembly with the tip of the suture needle.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A suture needle package comprising:
 a base;   a needle driver alignment guide overlying the base, the needle driver alignment guide   
       including first and second lateral guide walls that oppose one another for defining a needle 
       driver guide channel; and
 at least one connector configured to releasably secure a suture needle over the base, wherein the at least one connector is configured to orient the suture needle relative to the first and second lateral guide walls so that a tip of the suture needle is located within the needle driver guide channel and is bounded by the first and second lateral guide walls and so that a mid-section of the suture needle is located outside of the needle driver guide channel and the needle driver alignment guide. 
 
     
     
         26 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the needle driver guide channel has a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the proximal and distal ends thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the needle driver alignment guide further comprises an end wall interconnecting the first and second lateral guide walls for defining the distal end of the needle driver guide channel. 
     
     
         28 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the end wall interconnects distal ends of the first and second lateral guide walls, and wherein the first and second lateral guide walls are parallel to one another. 
     
     
         29 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the end wall and the distal ends of the first and second lateral side walls are configured to surround the tip of the suture needle. 
     
     
         30 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein each of the first and second lateral guide walls has a lower end and an upper free end, and wherein the at least one connector is configured to hold the tip of the suture needle between the lower ends and the upper free ends of the respective first and second lateral guide walls. 
     
     
         31 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the at least one connector is configured to secure the tip of the suture needle closer to the distal end of the needle driver guide channel and secure a proximal end of the suture needle closer to the proximal end of the needle driver guide channel. 
     
     
         32 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the at least one connector comprises a securing notch formed in the upper free end of one of the first and second lateral guide walls, and wherein the securing notch is configured to hold a tapered section of the suture needle such that the tapered section extends proximally from the tip of the suture needle. 
     
     
         33 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the needle driver alignment channel is configured such that the tapered section of the suture needle extends along an axis that defines an angle with the longitudinal axis of the needle driver alignment channel of less than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         34 . The suture needle package as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the at least one connector further comprises a second connector that is located proximal to the securing notch for securing a section of the suture needle that is proximal to the tapered section of the suture needle. 
     
     
         35 . A system for aligning a needle driver with a tip of a suture needle comprising:
 a suture needle package having a base, a needle driver alignment guide overlying the base, and at least one connector configured to releasably secure a suture needle to the suture needle package, wherein the needle driver alignment guide includes first and second lateral guide walls that oppose one another for defining a needle driver guide channel;   an end wall interconnecting the first and second lateral guide walls for defining a distal end of the needle driver alignment guide, wherein the at least one connector is configured to secure the suture needle over the base and control the orientation of the suture needle so that a tip of the suture needle is located within the needle driver guide channel and is bounded by the end wall and the first and second lateral guide walls and so that a mid-section of the suture needle is located outside of the needle driver guide channel and the needle drive alignment guide; and   a needle driver comprising an elongated shaft and a clamping assembly located at a distal end of the elongated shaft, wherein the clamping assembly engages the end wall of the needle driver alignment guide for aligning the clamping assembly with the tip of the suture needle.   
     
     
         36 . The system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the at least one connector is configured to hold the tip of the suture needle between the first and second lateral guide walls so that the tip is spaced away from the first and second lateral guide walls. 
     
     
         37 . The system as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the at least one connector is configured to hold the tip of the suture needle proximal to and spaced away from the end wall of the needle driver alignment guide by a first distance. 
     
     
         38 . The system as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the clamping assembly comprises:
 a lower jaw having a top surface; and   an opposing upper jaw with a bottom surface that is pivotally coupled with the lower jaw for moving the clamping assembly between open and closed positions, wherein a distal end of the lower jaw engages the end wall, and wherein the top surface of the lower jaw is configured to be aligned with the tip of the suture needle.   
     
     
         39 . The system as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the top surface of the lower jaw has a length that extends between a proximal end and the distal end thereof, and wherein the length of the top surface of the lower jaw is greater than the first distance between the tip of the suture needle and the end wall of the needle driver alignment guide. 
     
     
         40 . The system as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the upper jaw of the clamping assembly is configured to be positioned over the tip of the suture needle and the lower jaw of the clamping assembly is configured to be positioned under the tip of the suture needle. 
     
     
         41 . The system as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the first and second lateral guide walls are spaced from one another to define a width of the needle driver alignment guide that extends from the first lateral guide wall to the second lateral guide wall. 
     
     
         42 . The system as claimed in  claim 40 , further comprising:
 a resilient element disposed between the first and second lateral guide walls for urging the needle driver against one of the first and second lateral guide walls.   
     
     
         43 . The system as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the elongated shaft of the needle driver has a width that is substantially equal to the width of the needle driver alignment guide. 
     
     
         44 . The system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the elongated shaft of the needle driver has an outer diameter, and wherein the needle driver alignment guide has a depth that is about ½ the dimension of the outer diameter of the elongated shaft of the needle driver.