Biopsy Closure Device with Elastic Frame for Uniform Tissue Apposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for closing tissue biopsy wounds, such as suturing, are time-consuming, lead to unsightly scars, and increase the risk of infection due to pathways for pathogens.
Innovation Solution
A biopsy incision closure device with a base and frame that distributes closure forces evenly, using a rigid frame to maintain an elliptical shape and a soft elastic base for uniform healing, along with a latching mechanism and reinforcement members to prevent lateral stretching and tissue inversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If suturing is used to close biopsy wounds, then the wound can be closed, but the procedure takes significant time and creates unsightly scars
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the suture material and manual stitching process from the closure procedure. Instead of using traditional sutures that require time-consuming tying and adjustment, the device uses a pre-formed closure member with integrated closure forces that is simply applied to the wound site, eliminating the need for physician manipulation of suture materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure member is designed to be self-applying and self-closing. Once positioned over the biopsy wound, the closure member's elastic material and integrated structure automatically generate the closing forces needed to approximate the wound edges without requiring the physician to perform manual suturing actions.
2Productivity
If suturing is used to close biopsy wounds, then the wound can be closed, but the result is an unsightly scar
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is designed with non-uniform thickness and varying elastic properties across its surface. The material has different stiffness characteristics in different regions, allowing certain areas to stretch more than others during closure. This creates a more uniform distribution of closing forces across the wound edges, preventing the concentrated tension points that lead to poor scarring with traditional sutures.
3Productivity
If suturing is used to close biopsy wounds, then the wound can be closed, but pathways for pathogens remain open increasing infection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is designed to be applied immediately after biopsy specimen removal, before the wound can be exposed to pathogens. The device maintains its open configuration during application, allowing it to be positioned over the fresh wound, and then immediately begins the closing action, minimizing the time the wound remains open and vulnerable to contamination.
4Manufacturing precision
If a rigid frame is used to distribute closure forces, then healing is more uniform, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is constructed as a composite structure combining an elastic material matrix with embedded rigid frame elements. The elastic material provides overall flexibility and conformability to the tissue surface, while the rigid frame elements distributed within the material provide localized structural support and force distribution. This composite approach achieves uniform healing forces without requiring a complex external rigid framework.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device reduces healing time, minimizes scarring, and decreases the risk of infection by providing a faster, more uniform closure with improved tissue apposition and reduced deformation.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient frame which surrounds the opening... The frame is closed to apply a generally uniform distribution of lateral closing forces along opposite of the opening
Implementation Method 2
the base will be axially elongated as the frame closes
Implementation Method 3
a layer of adhesive on a lower surface of the base and frame for attachment to tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A biopsy incision closure device includes a base having a frame incorporated therein. Together, the base and frame define an opening for performing a biopsy incision when the device is placed over a tissue surface. The base is typically composed of an elastomeric material, and the frame comprises resilient inelastic members which can be used to close the opening in a highly uniform manner with minimum distortion and stress introduced into the tissue edges being drawn together.