Curved Suture Passing Device for Hip Capsule Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Arthroscopic surgery, particularly hip capsule closure, faces challenges due to complex and bulky suture passer devices that are difficult to operate and manufacture, leading to increased likelihood of device failure and inefficiency in passing sutures through tissue.
Innovation Solution
A suture passing device with a curved, slotted shaft and integral suture grasper that allows for piercing through tissue, extending a looped monofilament, and capturing it to pass a suture, enabling efficient closure of the hip capsule with a low-profile design suitable for arthroscopic cannulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional suture passers and retrievers are used for hip capsule closure, then the suture passing function is achieved, but the device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to multiple instruments needing to be inserted and removed multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the suture passer and suture grasper functions into a single integrated device. The device includes a shaft with a distal end that can both pass suture through tissue and grasp the suture, eliminating the need for separate retrieval instruments. This merging of functions directly reduces device complexity and improves ease of operation by requiring fewer instrument insertions and removals.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed with multi-functionality to perform both suture passing and suture grasping/retrieval operations. The distal end of the shaft incorporates both a piercing tip for tissue penetration and a grasper mechanism for capturing suture, allowing a single instrument to accomplish multiple tasks that previously required separate specialized tools.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gun style suture passers are used to pass suture through distal jaw opening, then suture passing is achieved, but the device size increases and adaptability deteriorates due to large and bulky design
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional zones along its length. The shaft is divided into a proximal handling portion and a distal functional portion with specific curvature. The distal end is further segmented into a piercing tip and a grasper mechanism, allowing each segment to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining an overall compact profile that can navigate through arthroscopic portals.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft incorporates a specific distal curvature designed to match the anatomical geometry required for hip capsule access. This curved configuration allows the device to navigate through the arthroscopic portal and reach the target tissue at the appropriate angle, improving adaptability to the surgical site while maintaining a compact overall device size.
3Reliability
If regular forceps or graspers with suture capturing aperture are used to retrieve suture, then suture retrieval is achieved, but the device complexity increases and reliability deteriorates due to complex operation procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The suture grasper function is merged into the same device that performs suture passing. The distal end of the shaft integrates both the tissue-piercing capability and the suture-grasping mechanism, eliminating the need for separate retrieval instruments. This integration reduces the number of instrument exchanges required and improves reliability by reducing opportunities for device failure during multiple insertions and removals.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture passing device has a curved, slotted shaft with a piercing end and an integral suture grasper, allowing the surgeon to pierce through a first tissue portion with the device and extend a looped portion of monofilament loaded within the shaft into the repair site. The shaft is then rotated so that the monofilament is allowed to fall out of the shaft through the slot. The surgeon then pierces a second tissue portion with the device and extends the suture grasper to capture the looped portion of monofilament. The monofilament is retrieved through the second tissue portion and a suture is passed through the looped portion of the monofilament. Finally, the flexible member is used to pull the suture through the tissue and the suture can be tensioned to close the hip capsule.