Co-knitted Polymeric Mesh for Hernia Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polymeric meshes used for soft tissue repair, such as abdominal wall hernia repairs, face challenges with inadequate strength retention beyond three to four weeks and lack of compliance to facilitate tissue stability and load transfer during wound healing, leading to undesirable features like stiffness and inability to transfer mechanical loads effectively.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric mesh comprising both absorbable and non-absorbable fibers co-knitted in an interdependent structure, with the absorbable fiber degrading within a short period to provide initial stiffness and the non-absorbable fiber offering long-term force-extension characteristics compatible with surrounding tissues, allowing for gradual load transfer and tissue integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fast absorbing polyglycolide-based fiber is used, then initial strength is provided, but breaking strength retention becomes inadequate beyond three to four weeks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite mesh structure combining fast-absorbing polyglycolide fibers with slow-degrading high-lactide fibers. The fast-absorbing component provides initial strength while the slow-degrading component maintains breaking strength retention beyond three to four weeks, resolving the contradiction between initial strength provision and long-term strength retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh is segmented into two functional components: fast-absorbing fibers that degrade quickly to allow tissue incorporation, and slow-degrading fibers that persist to maintain structural integrity and load-bearing capacity over extended periods, thereby addressing the strength retention timeline contradiction.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If non-absorbable materials are used, then long-term strength is maintained, but short-term stiffness and load transfer capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system where fast-absorbing fibers provide the necessary short-term stiffness and load transfer capability during the critical initial healing phase, while slow-degrading fibers ensure long-term strength maintenance, thus resolving the contradiction between short-term and long-term mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh exhibits dynamic mechanical properties that evolve over time: initially stiff and load-bearing due to the fast-absorbing component, then gradually transitioning as the fast component degrades and the slow component takes over, providing adaptive support that matches the healing timeline.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fast-absorbing fiber is used, then tissue incorporation is facilitated, but structural support becomes insufficient in the long term
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh is divided into fast-absorbing fibers that facilitate tissue incorporation by degrading quickly and allowing cellular infiltration, and slow-degrading fibers that maintain structural support over the long term, resolving the contradiction between adaptability for tissue integration and durability for structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines materials with different degradation rates, where the fast-absorbing polyglycolide component promotes tissue incorporation while the slow-degrading high-lactide component ensures long-term structural integrity, addressing both requirements simultaneously.
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 mesh provides short-term structural stiffness followed by long-term compliance, facilitating uninterrupted tissue integration and minimizing recurrence of wound stresses, with the non-absorbable component being encapsulated in the extracellular matrix, ensuring load-bearing capability and tissue remodeling compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
an absorbable polymeric fiber which is substantially degraded in vivo within a short period of time
Implementation Method 2
heat setting the knit mesh at 80-130° C. for 0.5-1.5 hours
Data Source
AI summary
A polymeric mesh is disclosed. The polymeric mesh comprises an absorbable polymeric fiber and a non-absorbable polymeric fiber knitted together to form an interdependent, co-knit mesh structure. Also disclosed are methods for making the polymeric mesh and methods for using the polymeric mesh.