Bone Cerclage Suture Passer With Variable Slot for Consistent Tensioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone cerclages, such as cables or fabrics, are inefficient in maintaining the relative position of fractured or cut bone sections, particularly in surgeries like open heart surgery where they are used to heal the sternum, as they often require complex locking mechanisms and may not provide consistent tensioning.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer system with a shaft having a passageway and variable-width slot, combined with a rigid sheath and suture, allows for easy passage and secure wrapping of suture around the bone, enabling efficient tensioning and knotless or knot-based securing without additional implants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cable or fabric cerclages are used, then bone healing can be promoted, but the locking mechanism becomes complex and tensioning consistency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex locking mechanism from traditional cerclages by using a suture passer system that delivers suture through the bone without requiring additional locking components. The suture itself serves as both the wrapping and the securing element, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms while maintaining reliable bone healing promotion.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the wrapping material, the tensioning element, and the securing component. The suture passer system allows the suture to be self-contained and self-sufficient, eliminating the need for external locking mechanisms or additional implants while ensuring consistent tensioning through the passer's controlled delivery system.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional cerclage methods are used, then bone sections can be maintained in relative position, but the application process becomes time-consuming and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is pre-loaded onto the suture passer in a controlled manner during manufacturing. The passer is designed with a passageway and slot configuration that pre-determines the suture's path and tensioning characteristics, allowing for rapid deployment during surgery without time-consuming on-site assembly or adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual, time-consuming mechanical wrapping and locking processes with a streamlined suture passer system that delivers and secures suture through controlled mechanical action. The passer's shaft with its specific passageway and slot geometry enables rapid suture placement and tensioning, significantly improving application efficiency while maintaining stable bone position.
3Ease of operation
If variable width slot is used in the passageway, then suture can pass through easily, but the sheath cannot exit the passageway
Solution Approach 1:
The passageway is designed with non-uniform geometry: the slot has a first width at the entrance that is larger than the second width at the exit. This local variation in dimensions allows the sheath to enter easily through the wider slot while preventing it from exiting through the narrower portion, achieving selective passage control without requiring complex multi-component systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing a bone cerclage according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a suture passer including a shaft. The shaft includes a passageway and a slot leading to the passageway. The slot has a variable width along a length of the passageway. A method is also disclosed.