Composite Self-Retaining Suture Filament Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-retaining sutures face issues such as fragile or flexible retainers that do not properly engage tissue, inadequate holding capability, breakage during tensioning, and rotation or slippage of retainers, along with difficulties in creating and deploying retainer features.
Innovation Solution
The development of self-retaining sutures using a composite filament with a core material for tensile strength and a sheath material that is more plastically deformable to enhance retainer formation, elevation, and deployment, allowing for improved anchoring and tissue holding capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a single-material filament is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the suture cannot simultaneously achieve high tensile strength and easy retainer formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite filament consisting of a core material (providing tensile strength) and a sheath material (providing retainer formation properties). This composite structure allows the suture to simultaneously achieve high tensile strength and easy retainer formation, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the filament: the core material is optimized for tensile strength while the sheath material is optimized for retainer formation. This local differentiation of material properties allows each part of the suture to excel at its specific function, resolving the contradiction between overall strength and localized retainer formation ease.
2Ease of operation
If the retainer material is made highly deformable for easy deployment, then retainer formation is improved, but the overall suture strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The composite filament structure separates the functions of strength and deformability into different materials. The core material maintains high tensile strength while the sheath material provides the necessary deformability for easy retainer deployment, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and suture strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath material is specifically designed with high deformability only in the regions where retainers need to be formed and deployed, while the core material maintains overall structural strength. This localized application of deformability resolves the contradiction between retainer deployment ease and overall suture strength.
3Ease of operation
If more plastically deformable material is used for the sheath, then retainer elevation and deployment are enhanced, but the suture may be more prone to breakage under tension
Solution Approach 1:
The composite filament combines a core material with high resistance to breakage and a sheath material with high plastic deformability. The core material compensates for the potential weakness of the deformable sheath material under tension, while the sheath enables easy retainer elevation and deployment, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
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 composite filament design enhances the ability of self-retaining sutures to anchor into tissue, providing superior holding strength and clinical performance by combining high tensile strength with enhanced retainer formation and deployment properties.
Implementation Method 1
a sheath made from a different material selected to enhance formation, positioning and strength of a plurality of retainers
Data Source
AI summary
A self-retaining suture comprises a composite filament. The filament has retainers on the surface such that the filament can engage and retain tissue without knots. The filament comprises at least two materials having different properties. A surface material of the filament has properties which enhance the formation, elevation and/or deployment of the retainers. A core material of the filament has properties which enhance the tensile strength of the filament. The surgical filament is thin and flexible and may be used for suturing. Methods for manufacturing the filament and retainers are also described.