Adjustable Suture Lock for Endoscopic Tissue Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic procedures for adjusting hollow body organs, such as the stomach, lack the ability to efficiently and adjustably secure tissue or muscle to change the size or shape of organs like the stomach or pyloric sphincter, limiting the flexibility in treating conditions like obesity and GERD.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable suture assembly comprising anchors and sutures with a suture lock that allows for securement and re-adjustment of tissue or muscle positions, utilizing an endoscopic suturing device with a needle and catheter system to deliver and tension sutures endoscopically, enabling the adjustment of the pyloric sphincter or stomach size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional endoscopic procedures use fixed sutures to secure tissue, then the tissue can be held in a specific position, but the procedure lacks flexibility for adjustment and requires repeating the procedure for any re-adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The suture assembly incorporates a dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows the suture tension to be modified after initial placement. The adjustable suture lock enables the suture to be secured at different tension levels, transforming a static suture system into a dynamic one that can adapt to changing patient needs without requiring surgical intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture assembly is divided into distinct functional components: the suture itself, the anchor for tissue attachment, and the adjustable suture lock mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while working together to provide overall adjustability, making the complex functionality manageable and maintainable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sutures are placed to adjust organ size or shape, then the organ can be repositioned or reshaped, but the time and complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple suture functions are combined into a single integrated adjustable suture assembly. The assembly can simultaneously secure tissue at multiple points and allow adjustment of all sutures through a unified mechanism, reducing the number of separate procedures or interventions needed to achieve comprehensive tissue repositioning or organ reshaping.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture assembly is pre-configured with the adjustment mechanism in place before being implanted. This preliminary preparation allows for rapid deployment and immediate adjustability, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-implantation modifications or additional surgical procedures to achieve the desired organ configuration.
3Stability of the object's composition
If sutures are secured tightly to maintain tissue position, then the tissue remains stable, but the ability to re-adjust or modify the configuration is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The suture lock mechanism provides a dynamic system that can transition between secured and adjustable states. The suture can be firmly held in position when needed for stability, yet can be easily released and repositioned when adjustment is required, allowing the system to adapt between these two opposing requirements as clinical needs dictate.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable suture assembly is provided that may be employed in various surgical procedures to draw and/or hold tissue and/or muscle together. The suture assembly may include a suture lock or tensioner that is adjustably securable to two or more lengths of suture to provide a surgeon with an ability to maintain tissue or muscle in one secured position and subsequently readjust the suture assembly to maintain the tissue or muscle in a different secured position. The suture assembly may include two or more sutures having an anchor attached to an end of each suture for anchoring the suture to desired tissue or muscle. An endoscopic suturing device is provided to deliver and place two or more sutures in tissue or muscle during a surgical procedure. The suturing device may be configured to carry a plurality of sutures so that multiple sutures can be placed in tissue or muscle during a single intubation of the device. The suture assembly and suturing device may be employed with an endoscope to facilitate surgical treatment of obesity which involves narrowing and/or disabling the pyloric sphincter to reduce the rate of gastric emptying.