Transition to translucent sutures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dyed resorbable sutures are difficult to see during medical procedures, causing eye strain for surgeons and leaving visible suture lines that are undesirable under the skin, as clear sutures are preferred but hard to visualize.
Innovation Solution
A colored absorbable medical article comprising an absorbable polymeric substrate coated with a composition of a distinct absorbable coating polymer and a miscible colorant that transitions to translucent within 1 hour to 28 days, ensuring the suture is visible during use and disappears clinically relevantly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If clear sutures are used, then visibility issues and eye strain are avoided, but the surgeon cannot see the suture material during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The suture incorporates a colorant that provides visibility during the procedure but is designed to fade or change color over time, allowing the suture to be visible when needed and then become less obtrusive. This resolves the contradiction by making the suture visible during surgery (improving ease of operation) while the colorant eventually fades to reduce eye strain and improve patient appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The colorant's visibility parameter changes over time - it is highly visible initially to aid surgical procedure but then gradually fades or changes opacity. This temporal parameter change allows the suture to serve both functions: being visible during the procedure and then becoming less visible to reduce eye strain and improve cosmetic outcome.
2Ease of operation
If dyed sutures are used, then the suture is visible during procedures, but visible suture lines remain under the skin after healing
Solution Approach 1:
The colorant is specifically designed to fade or change color over the healing period, providing visibility during surgery but then gradually disappearing or becoming translucent. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring the suture is visible during the procedure (improving ease of operation) while the colorant fades to eliminate visible suture lines under the skin (reducing harmful factors).
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the suture are made dynamic rather than static - the colorant transitions from a visible state during surgery to a faded or translucent state during healing. This dynamic property allows the suture to adapt to different stages of the healing process, being visible when needed and then becoming invisible to improve cosmetic outcome.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If clear sutures are used, then cosmetic outcome is improved, but the surgeon experiences difficulty seeing the material
Solution Approach 1:
The colorant provides initial visibility for surgical procedure while being designed to fade over time, achieving both cosmetic improvement and surgical visibility. The colorant acts as a temporary visual aid that is present when needed and then disappears to improve cosmetic outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The colorant is applied preliminarily to provide visibility during the surgical procedure, and then it naturally fades or is absorbed over time. This preliminary action of adding color provides the needed visibility during surgery, after which the colorant's gradual disappearance achieves the cosmetic improvement of clear sutures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for clear visualization of the suture during procedures without initial color loss, providing robustness for tissue insertion and complete disappearance of the colorant and polymer, leaving a translucent substrate, thus addressing the visibility and eye strain issues while ensuring effective tissue healing.
Implementation Method 1
an absorbable composition disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, wherein the absorbable composition comprises: (i) at least one absorbable coating polymer distinct from the substrate and (ii) a colorant that is miscible with the absorbable coating polymer
Implementation Method 2
The foregoing will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures. Also disclosed herein is a method comprising: applying the article of any one of claims 1 to 17 to a subject wherein the article is colored at the time of applying but then transitions to translucent within 1 hour to 28 days after the time of applying
Data Source
AI summary
An absorbable medical article comprising:an absorbable polymeric substrate; andan absorbable composition disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, wherein the absorbable composition comprises:(i) at least one absorbable coating polymer distinct from the substrate and (ii) a colorant that is miscible with the absorbable coating polymer.