Curved Needle-Channel Suture Guide for Catheter Securement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing intravenous catheters to patients are cumbersome and risky, particularly when limited skin space is available, often requiring difficult suture placement and increasing the risk of fingerstick injuries.
Innovation Solution
A suture guide with a channel that directs a suture needle from one side of the catheter to the other, featuring a predetermined angle and shape to create a needle tract below the skin surface, allowing for secure attachment with a single suture action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture methods are used to secure catheters, then the catheter can be secured to the patient, but the process becomes cumbersome and increases the risk of fingerstick injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The suture guide acts as an intermediary device between the suture needle and the patient's skin. It provides a predetermined curved pathway that directs the needle through the skin and underlying tissue to create a secure anchor point, eliminating the need for complex manual suture placement while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The suture guide is pre-configured with a curved pathway and anchor mechanism before use. The guide itself contains the predetermined trajectory and anchoring structure, so that when the needle follows the guide's pathway, the securement action is already partially prepared, reducing the complexity of the actual suture placement
2Adaptability or versatility
If limited skin space is available for catheter securing, then the catheter must be secured in a constrained area, but traditional suture placement becomes difficult and risky
Solution Approach 1:
The suture guide provides a localized solution by concentrating the securement function in a small, pre-configured structure that can be placed in limited skin spaces. The curved pathway and anchor are confined to a compact geometry that adapts to constrained areas while maintaining the necessary suture placement capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The suture guide transitions the suture placement from a two-dimensional surface operation to a three-dimensional subcutaneous pathway. By creating a curved trajectory that goes beneath the skin surface, the guide utilizes the third dimension (depth) to achieve securement in areas where surface space is limited
3Reliability
If a curved needle pathway is created through the suture guide, then secure catheter attachment is achieved, but the guide structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The suture guide is divided into distinct functional segments: the body portion that interfaces with the skin, the curved pathway that directs the needle, and the anchor mechanism that secures the catheter. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The suture guide merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure: it provides the needle pathway, creates the subcutaneous tunnel, and contains the anchor mechanism all within one piece. This consolidation achieves secure attachment without requiring multiple separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A suture guide for securing a catheter to a patient includes a body and a needle channel extending through the body. The needle channel includes a first passage extending from a first passage inlet to a first passage outlet, and a second passage extending from a second passage inlet a second passage outlet. The first passage is curved toward the second passage as the first passage extends from the first passage inlet to the first passage outlet. The first passage is configured to guide a suture needle from the first passage outlet to the second passage inlet such that the suture needle exits the first passage, traverses skin and tissue of a patient to create a patient suture passage between the first passage and the second passage, and enters the second passage to secure the catheter to the patient.