Arced Needle Loader with Interference Fit for Safe Suturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suturing devices require improved mechanisms for safely and reliably loading suturing needles, particularly in space-limited applications such as minimally invasive surgery, where conventional methods are inefficient and pose risks.
Innovation Solution
A needle loader device with a movable arm and needle mount is designed to securely attach an arced suturing needle to a suturing device, featuring an interference fit and locking mechanisms to ensure proper alignment and retention, using springs and cam surfaces for smooth operation and visual/tactile indicators for confirmation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional needle loading methods are used, then the device structure is simple, but the safety and reliability of needle loading is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-loaded into a needle loader device before the suturing device is activated. The needle loader includes a needle receiving chamber and a needle guide that pre-position the needle in a safe, controlled manner before transfer to the suturing device, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle sharp needles during device assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle loader acts as an intermediary device between needle storage and the suturing device. It includes a needle receiving chamber, needle guide, and transfer mechanism that mediate the needle loading process, providing a safe intermediate handling stage that reduces direct operator exposure to sharp needles while ensuring reliable needle transfer.
2Volume of moving object
If space-limited applications are considered, then the device size must be minimized, but the needle loading mechanism becomes more difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The needle loader is integrated with the suturing device as a unified assembly. The needle receiving chamber, needle guide, and transfer mechanism are combined into a single compact unit that attaches to the suturing device, eliminating the need for separate loading devices and reducing overall system volume while maintaining safe needle loading functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the needle receiving chamber of the needle loader, which is itself integrated into the suturing device. The needle guide is positioned within the needle receiving chamber, creating a nested arrangement that minimizes the volume required for needle storage and loading while ensuring safe, controlled needle access.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If manual needle handling is used, then the operation is simple, but the risk of injury and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-positioned in the needle receiving chamber with the needle guide in place before the suturing device is activated. This preliminary arrangement ensures the needle is already in a safe, controlled position, eliminating the need for operators to manually manipulate sharp needles during the loading process and reducing injury risk while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle loader and needle guide serve as intermediaries that protect operators from direct contact with sharp needles. The needle receiving chamber encloses the needle, and the needle guide provides a controlled pathway for needle transfer, mediating the interaction between the operator and the sharp needle to reduce injury and contamination risks while keeping the operation simple.
4Manufacturing precision
If needle alignment precision is improved, then the loading reliability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle guide acts as an intermediary alignment mechanism that provides a fixed, pre-positioned pathway for needle transfer. It includes alignment features such as guide walls and positioning surfaces that automatically align the needle with the suturing device opening, ensuring precise needle placement without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or manual alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle loader and needle guide are designed with self-aligning features that automatically position the needle correctly during the loading process. The needle receiving chamber and guide include built-in alignment surfaces and geometric constraints that guide the needle into the correct position without requiring external alignment tools or complex adjustment mechanisms, achieving precise alignment through the design itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations of a needle loader and related methods are provided. The needle loader comprises a housing, a movable arm disposed within the housing, and a needle mount defined on the movable arm to releasably attach to an arced suturing needle. The needle loader further includes an arced needle releasably attached to the needle mount. The needle can be held in place on the needle mount by way of an interference fit. The needle mount can be defined on a surface of the movable arm that faces an arced needle track of a suturing device when loading an arced suturing needle in the needle track of the suturing device.