US Patent 9125645 Reciprocating needle drive without cables

An apparatus includes a housing, a drive gear assembly, and a drive arm. The housing defines a channel that receives a needle such that the needle is movable within the channel. The drive gear assembly is positioned within the housing and includes a first gear, a second gear, and a rack. The rack is translatable relative to the housing and is coupled with the first and second gears to rotate the first and second gears. The drive arm is coupled with the drive gear assembly and engages the needle to move the needle within the channel of the housing.