Automatically Reloading Suture Passer Cartridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture passer devices face challenges in accessing difficult-to-reach tissue regions, particularly in joints like the knee, due to limited navigation capabilities and difficulty in loading sutures, leading to increased surgical time and risk of injury.
Innovation Solution
Development of preloaded and automatically reloading suture passer systems with a cartridge that includes a tissue penetrator preloaded with a first bight of suture, which automatically loads a second bight after the first is passed, allowing for sequential suture passing without manual reloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If suture passer devices are designed to access difficult-to-reach tissue regions, then navigation capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components including a handle assembly, a shaft, a jaw assembly with movable jaw, and a needle delivery system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the movable jaw, and the suture is nested within the needle lumen. This nested configuration allows the device to pass through tight anatomical spaces while maintaining full functionality of each component.
2Productivity
If manual suture loading is required, then device simplicity is maintained, but surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is pre-loaded onto the needle within the jaw assembly before the procedure begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming manual suture loading during surgery, directly improving surgical efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to automatically advance the needle with pre-loaded suture through the tissue and into the opposing jaw without requiring manual manipulation or reloading by the surgeon.
3Ease of operation
If scissoring jaws are used to grasp tissue, then tissue grasping capability is improved, but ability to navigate tight body regions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw assembly is designed to rotate about the shaft axis and the movable jaw can translate along the shaft. This dynamic configuration allows the jaws to open wide for tissue grasping when needed, while the entire assembly can be rotated and repositioned to navigate tight anatomical spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw assembly adds rotational freedom about the shaft axis, creating a new degree of freedom that allows the device to access tissue from multiple angles without requiring the jaws to be permanently opened wide.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple suture loops are threaded manually, then suture passing versatility is improved, but loading difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sutures can be pre-loaded onto the needle during device assembly or storage, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual threading during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The device automatically manages the advancement and deployment of multiple pre-loaded sutures through the tissue, eliminating manual manipulation requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Suture passers and methods of use. Described herein are suture passers preloaded with suture, including cartridges that couple to a suture passer to form a loaded suture passer; the suture passer may be operated to pass one or more lengths of suture without having to be manually reloaded. In particular, described herein are preloaded and automatically reloading apparatuses typically.