Barbed Suture Placement for Dead Space Closure in Tissue Approximation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical procedures often result in the formation of seromas due to dead space creation, leading to discomfort, infection, and additional medical procedures, with existing solutions like surgical drains being ineffective and cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A suture article with barbed anchor articles or knots that resist withdrawal from tissue, and a suture placement device for approximating tissue surfaces, using a handle, insertion portion, and anchor delivery mechanism to secure the suture in place.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If surgical drains are placed to manage dead space, then fluid drainage is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid accumulationVSAvoidpatient comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the harmful dead space by using barbed sutures to pull elevated tissue planes down to the underlying structure, removing the space where fluid would accumulate rather than merely draining it

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The barbed suture is a simple, disposable device that replaces complex, reusable drainage systems. It is inserted once and performs its function of eliminating dead space without requiring maintenance or removal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If internal quilting sutures are placed to close dead space, then seroma formation is reduced, but surgical time and procedure complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseroma formationVSAvoidsurgical time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The barbed suture is pre-configured with barbs at specific intervals along its length, allowing it to be inserted in a single pass and automatically engage tissue at multiple points, performing the quilting function in advance of traditional layered suturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges multiple functions into a single device: the barbed suture simultaneously provides tissue approximation, dead space elimination, and hemostasis through its integrated design, replacing the need for separate quilting suture passes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If multiple barbed anchor articles are used to approximate tissue, then tissue approximation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and insertion difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue approximation effectivenessVSAvoidsuture structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suture is segmented with barbs at regular intervals along its length, allowing each barb to independently engage tissue and contribute to the overall approximation force, distributing the mechanical load across multiple anchor points

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12496057B2Suture materials, suture placement devices and methods of suture placement and tissue approximation

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 TACK SURGICAL LLC

AI summary

The present invention includes a suture adapted to be anchored into tissue, the suture comprising a length of an elongate flexible suture material and a plurality of barbed anchor articles slidingly disposed along a length of the suture material. The invention also includes a suture placement device designed to insert the anchors of the suture articles into opposing tissue surfaces and associated methods for approximating and/or affixing opposed tissue surfaces in surgical procedures and the like.