Anvil Delivery Suture Retention and Release Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current trans-oral delivery systems for anvil assemblies lack an efficient method to secure the head assembly in a tilted position during trans-oral insertion, often relying on sutures that can be cumbersome and prone to leaving remnants upon release.
Innovation Solution
An anvil delivery system with a retaining suture that forms a first knot aligned with a longitudinal guide feature on an adapter member, allowing the suture to be secured through a housing opening, and a second knot external to the openings, ensuring the head assembly remains in a tilted position until release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a retaining suture is used to secure the head assembly in a tilted position, then the head assembly can be maintained in position during insertion, but the suture is cumbersome and leaves remnants upon release
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is extracted from the body cavity through the delivery system's adapter member after the anvil assembly is deployed. The adapter member serves as a retrieval path, allowing the suture to be pulled out through the throughbore without requiring cutting or leaving remnants inside the patient's body.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter member acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates suture management. It provides a throughbore that guides the suture from the head assembly back to the exterior, enabling clean removal without direct manipulation inside the body cavity.
2Ease of operation
If the suture is tied in alignment with the longitudinal guide feature, then the knot aligns with the opening for easy release, but the suture must be precisely positioned during tying
Solution Approach 1:
The longitudinal guide feature on the adapter member automatically aligns the suture knot with the throughbore opening during the tying process. As the suture is tied around the adapter member, the guide feature ensures the knot forms in the correct position without requiring manual alignment adjustments by the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter member is pre-configured with the longitudinal guide feature before the suture is applied. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that when the suture is tied, the knot automatically forms in the correct alignment with the opening, eliminating the need for post-tying adjustment.
3Device complexity
If the first and second lengths of the suture are adjacent from the adapter member to the head assembly, then the suture configuration is simplified, but the knot must be positioned about the central hub portion
Solution Approach 1:
The central hub portion of the adapter member serves as a self-aligning anchor point for the suture knot. When the suture is tied around this central hub, the adjacent lengths of suture naturally follow the same path from the knot to the head assembly, automatically achieving the simplified configuration without requiring precise manual positioning.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of securing a head assembly of the anvil assembly in a delivery position for trans-oral delivery includes tying a suture such that lengths of suture extending between an adapter assembly and the head assembly are in contact with one another and/or are parallel.