Electrospun Tendon Sheath with Smooth Outer and Rough Inner Surface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing ruptured tendons face challenges such as adhesion formation and insufficient mechanical strength, leading to reduced range of motion and risk of re-rupture, due to inefficient natural healing and limited therapeutic options.
Innovation Solution
A tubular sheath made of a mesh of elastic fibers formed by electrospinning a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, with a smooth outer surface and rough inner surface, containing a therapeutic agent like PDGF-BB to promote tendon healing, providing mechanical support and controlled drug delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional suture techniques are used for tendon repair, then the procedure is simple and quick, but adhesion formation occurs leading to reduced range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tubular sheath as an intermediary device between the tendon ends during repair. This sheath acts as a barrier that prevents adhesions from forming between the tendon and surrounding tissue, while still allowing the simple suture technique to be used for joining the tendon ends themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular sheath is constructed as a flexible thin-walled structure that can conform to the tendon geometry. This flexible shell provides adhesion prevention without interfering with the natural movement and healing of the tendon, allowing range of motion to be maintained.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional suture techniques are used for tendon repair, then the procedure is straightforward, but insufficient mechanical strength is acquired during initial healing leading to re-rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular sheath is constructed from composite materials that combine mechanical support properties with biocompatibility. This composite structure provides additional mechanical strength to the repair site during the critical initial healing phase, reducing the risk of re-rupture while maintaining procedural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath provides beforehand cushioning and mechanical support to the tendon repair site before the natural healing process can establish sufficient strength. This protective barrier is in place during the vulnerable initial healing period, preventing re-rupture and then gradually降解 as the tendon regains strength.
3Device complexity
If a single-layer electrospun tube is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot simultaneously provide mechanical support and controlled drug delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tubular sheath into multiple functional layers, with each layer having a specific role. The outer layer provides mechanical support and structural integrity, while the inner layer contains and controls drug delivery. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function while working together as a unified device.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer structure enables the device to perform multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical support, adhesion prevention, and controlled drug delivery. Each layer contributes to one or more of these functions, making the device universally applicable to various tendon repair needs without requiring multiple separate devices.
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 device enhances tendon healing by reducing adhesion formation, improving mechanical strength, and lowering the risk of re-rupture through localized delivery of growth factors, thereby promoting better biomechanical properties of the repaired tendon.
Implementation Method 1
A tubular sheath made of a mesh of elastic fibers formed by electrospinning a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A device for repair surgery of cylindrical organs, particularly of ruptured tendons, is configured as a tubular sheath (T) made of a mesh of elastic fibers formed by electrospinning a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer. The tubular sheath has a Young elasticity modulus of about 0.1 to about 4 MPa and a strain at break of about 50 to about 1,000%, and it has a first wall surface and a second wall surface substantially parallel thereto, with said first wall surface being comparatively smooth (WS) and said second wall surface being comparatively rough (WR). According to the invention, the elastic fibers comprise first fibers consist of polymer in neat form and second fibers consist of polymer with an admixture of a therapeutic agent for stimulating regrowth processes of a predetermined cylindrical organ. The tubular sheath comprises a first tubular region adjacent to the first wall and a second tubular region adjacent to the second wall, said first tubular region being formed of said first fibers and said second tubular region being formed of said second fibers.