Deflectable Pelvic Floor Implant Delivery Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for delivering pelvic floor repair implants are invasive and lack maneuverability, requiring large dissections in the pelvic region, which hinders minimally invasive procedures and prolongs healing.
Innovation Solution
Development of medical devices with reduced profile components, including a handle, elongated shaft member, and head, allowing for minimal dissection and enhanced maneuverability, enabling the delivery of implants and sutures through a transvaginal approach with a smaller dissection profile, similar to the diameter of a finger, and featuring a deflectable shaft and rotatable head for precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing medical devices are used to deliver pelvic floor repair implants, then the implant can be delivered, but large dissection is required within the pelvic region and the devices are cumbersome and rigid
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a handle for operator control, an elongated shaft member for access, and a head for implant delivery. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the shaft member being thin and flexible for maneuverability while the head provides the necessary delivery function.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft member is designed to be deflectable rather than rigid, allowing it to bend and follow the contours of the pelvic region. This dynamic flexibility enables the device to navigate difficult anatomical areas while maintaining a small profile, directly resolving the contradiction between maneuverability and device size.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing medical devices are used to deliver pelvic floor repair implants, then the implant can be delivered, but large dissection profiles are required in the pelvic region
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft member is constructed as a thin, flexible structure that can bend and conform to the pelvic anatomy. This thin-film approach allows the device to pass through small dissection profiles (comparable to finger diameter) while still reaching the target area for implant delivery, minimizing surgical trauma.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing medical devices are used to deliver pelvic floor repair implants, then the implant can be delivered, but the devices are rigid and cannot easily access difficult areas
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft member transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamically flexible one that can deflect and bend. This allows the device to adapt to difficult anatomical pathways within the pelvic region while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to transmit forces for implant delivery. The head remains relatively stable while the shaft provides the necessary flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device for the delivery of pelvic floor repair implants within a pelvic region of a body includes a handle, an elongated shaft member, and a head. A method of delivering a pelvic floor repair implant in a transvaginal implant procedure includes inserting and deploying at least a portion of the medical device into a pelvic region of a body.