Bioresorbable Tissue Retention Hooks for Precise Wound Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical procedures face challenges in efficiently and precisely aligning tissues during and after closure, leading to suboptimal aesthetic outcomes and increased surgical time, with potential for subsequent medical interventions to address undesirable scarring and tissue shape changes.
Innovation Solution
A tissue retention system with bioresorbable hooks that anchor into the dermal layer and connect to the epidermis, facilitating precise alignment and maintaining desired tissue shape during healing, using a frame with radially inward and outward arcuate hooks made of materials like PLGA.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional dermal stitches or staples are used to close surgical openings, then the surgical opening can be closed, but the procedure consumes significant surgical time and requires follow-up removal procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tissue retention function from traditional suture/staple systems by using a separate implantable device with hooks that anchor into the dermal layer. This extraction allows the closure mechanism to be independent of the retention mechanism, eliminating the need for time-consuming suturing while maintaining tissue alignment during healing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs bioresorbable materials that degrade over time within the body, eliminating the need for removal procedures. These temporary structures serve their purpose during healing and then naturally dissolve, reducing overall procedural time and follow-up interventions.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional closure methods are used, then the surgical opening can be closed, but precise tissue alignment is difficult to achieve and maintain during healing
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is segmented into distinct functional components: an implantable device with dermal anchoring hooks for retention, and a separate closure mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the implantable device specifically designed to maintain precise tissue alignment through its geometric configuration and anchoring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable device utilizes a circular geometric configuration that naturally guides and maintains precise radial alignment of tissue edges during healing. The curved, symmetric design provides uniform distribution of forces and maintains consistent tissue positioning throughout the healing process.
3Reliability
If aesthetic outcomes are improved through precise tissue alignment, then patient aesthetics are enhanced, but the procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implantable device is installed during the initial surgical procedure to pre-establish precise tissue alignment and retention. This preliminary action ensures that tissue edges remain perfectly positioned throughout healing, guaranteeing reliable aesthetic outcomes without requiring additional time-consuming adjustments or follow-up procedures.
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
Enhances surgical efficiency, improves patient aesthetics by maintaining desired tissue alignment and shape without additional procedures, reducing surgical time and reliance on dermal sutures or staples.
Implementation Method 1
The tissue retention system is made of bioresorbable materials such as Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) that can be implanted in the patient to facilitate desirable alignment throughout the healing process without a follow up procedure to remove the system
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes systems, devices, and methods for tissue retention, for example, tissue retention for aligning tissues around a surgical opening during a surgical procedure. In particular implementations, the systems, devices, and methods described herein can include a tissue retention system that is implantable into a subject to facilitate precise alignment of tissues while surgical treatment areas are closed and additionally maintain the desired alignment of tissues during the healing process. Some systems, devices and methods detailed herein provide tissue retention utilizing a tissue retention system that includes a frame, upper hooks, and lower hooks that can be implanted into a surgical site or wound opening.