Endoscopic Suture Needle Translation for Large Defect Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopic treatments often result in large defects that are difficult to close using hemostasis clips, and current devices for closing such defects have various advantages and disadvantages.
Innovation Solution
A suture device designed for endoscopic use, comprising a suture translation assembly and a distal assembly, allows for the axial translation of a needle within a delivery system, with a distal shuttle that securely holds the needle and a user interface for locking and unlocking positions, enabling precise suturing through an endoscope or similar device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hemostasis clips are used to close tissue defects, then the closure process is simple and quick, but they cannot effectively close large defects
Solution Approach 1:
The closure device is divided into multiple functional segments: a delivery system for insertion, a suture translation assembly for needle manipulation, and a distal assembly for suture anchoring. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to close large defects that hemostasis clips cannot handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture translation assembly and distal assembly are nested within the delivery system, allowing the entire suture device to be delivered through the endoscope's working channel. The needle is contained within the suture translation assembly, which itself is housed in the delivery system, enabling minimally invasive access to large defects.
2Manufacturing precision
If a suture device with needle translation capability is used, then precise suturing is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture translation assembly incorporates a dynamic needle translation mechanism that allows the needle to move between locked and unlocked positions. This dynamic capability enables precise control over needle placement while the mechanism remains relatively simple, using spring-loaded components and detent structures rather than complex actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture translation assembly acts as an intermediary between the operator's manual input and the needle's precise positioning. The assembly translates simple proximal-distal movements into accurate needle placement through its mechanical translation mechanism, reducing the complexity of direct manual needle manipulation.
3Reliability
If the needle is securely locked in the distal assembly, then suture anchoring is reliable, but needle retrieval becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The distal assembly is pre-configured with a capture structure designed to reliably engage the needle tip. The spring-loaded capture member is positioned and biased to automatically secure the needle upon insertion, ensuring reliable anchoring before the suturing process begins.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing a complex retrieval mechanism, the system uses the natural reversibility of the locking action. The same spring-loaded capture member that secures the needle can be actuated in reverse to release it, simplifying retrieval by using the inverse of the securing mechanism rather than a separate retrieval system.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture device may include a suture translation assembly configured to be axially translatable within a lumen of a delivery system and a distal assembly configured to be securable to the distal end of the delivery system. The suture translation assembly and the distal assembly may cooperate to enable a user to pass a needle back and forth between the two in order to endoscopically suture a defect.