Angled Suture Needle for Endoscopic Stitching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic suturing devices face challenges in efficiently manipulating suture needles through thick, scarred tissue due to the orthogonal orientation of the needle with respect to the tool assembly, limiting the use of longer needles and increasing the force required for needle passage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stitching device with a tool assembly that supports a suture needle at an acute angle, allowing for longer needle usage and reduced force requirements, featuring jaws and needle receiving blades that transition between open and closed configurations to facilitate needle passage through tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the suture needle is oriented orthogonally to the tool assembly, then the needle can be easily manipulated through tissue, but the needle length is limited and more force is required for passage
Solution Approach 1:
The suture needle is reoriented from an orthogonal position to an acute angle (approximately 45 degrees) relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly. This dimensional change in needle orientation allows the needle to extend further distally while maintaining ease of manipulation through tissue, effectively resolving the contradiction between needle length and ease of operation.
2Device complexity
If the suture needle is oriented orthogonally to the tool assembly, then the device structure is simpler, but the force required for needle passage through thick tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the needle orientation from orthogonal to acute angle, the needle can be longer while requiring less force for tissue passage. The increased needle length provides better leverage and distribution of force, reducing the overall force requirement despite the added structural complexity of accommodating the angled needle configuration.
3Length of moving object
If the suture needle is supported at an acute angle, then longer needles can be used and force requirements are reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tool assembly is divided into distinct functional components: jaws for holding the needle, needle receiving blades for securing the needle, and an elongate shaft. This segmentation allows the complex acute-angle needle support structure to be broken into manageable parts, making the device easier to manufacture and maintain despite the increased overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle receiving blades are nested within the jaws, and the entire jaw assembly is contained within the elongate shaft structure. This nesting arrangement accommodates the acute-angle needle configuration in a compact manner, reducing the external complexity of the device while maintaining the functional benefits of the angled needle orientation.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stitching device includes a suture needle configured to reliably pass through a typically thick scarred tissue present along, e.g., an edge of midline hernias. The surgical stitching device includes first and second jaws. The suture needle is selectively supported on the first or second jaws at, e.g., an acute, angle with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the corresponding first or second jaw. The suture needle may be selectively secured with the first or second jaw by first and second needle receiving blades configured for reciprocating axial displacement. A suture is connected to the suture needle to perform suturing of tissue.