Radially Folded Hemostatic Discs for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current hemostatic solutions for minimally invasive surgeries, such as fibrin glue and collagen-based nonwovens, face challenges in effectively controlling heavy bleeding due to adhesion issues and difficulty in deployment through small trocars, leading to inadequate sealing and potential washing away of the adhesive.

Innovation Solution

Development of flat, disc-shaped hemostyptic materials with a diameter greater than the trocar, featuring radial structures like incisions or embossing that allow easy deployment and expansion, enabling efficient coverage of wound areas without gaps, and a porous structure for high absorption capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If large-area hemostyptic material is used to ensure complete wound coverage, then hemostatic effectiveness is improved, but difficulty in dispensing through trocar increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehemostyptic surface areaVSAvoidease of dispensing through trocar
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hemostyptic material is divided into multiple individual discs, each designed to be dispensed separately through the trocar. This segmentation allows large total coverage area while maintaining ease of delivery through small access points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hemostyptic discs are designed with foldable radial structures that enable them to be compressed into a compact, trocar-compatible configuration for delivery, then expanded to full diameter for effective wound coverage. This dimensional transformation resolves the contradiction between large area and small delivery aperture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If hemostyptic material is rolled up for trocar insertion, then ease of dispensing is improved, but unrolling difficulty and sticking together worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of dispensingVSAvoidunrolling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a single rolled fleece that must be unrolled and manipulated, the invention provides multiple pre-formed discs that are individually dispensed. This eliminates the unrolling step and associated sticking problems while maintaining ease of dispensing through the trocar.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hemostyptic discs are pre-formed with radial folds during manufacturing, creating a compact, self-contained structure ready for immediate dispensing. This preliminary shaping eliminates the need for intraoperative unrolling and manipulation, reducing complexity and sticking issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple fleece layers are applied to control severe bleeding, then hemostatic effectiveness is improved, but placement time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehemostatic effectivenessVSAvoidplacement time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides multiple individual discs that can be rapidly dispensed and stacked at the wound site. This segmented approach allows efficient layering to achieve severe bleeding control without the time-consuming manipulation required by traditional rolled fleeces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The radial fold structures on the discs are self-aligning features that automatically orient the material correctly during placement. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for precise manual positioning and alignment, reducing placement time while maintaining effective multi-layer coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of operation

If small hemostyptic pieces are used to ease trocar dispensing, then ease of operation is improved, but hemostatic effectiveness deteriorates due to gaps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of dispensingVSAvoidhemostatic effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The discs are designed with radial folds that enable them to be compressed to trocar-compatible sizes for easy dispensing, then expanded to large diameters for effective wound coverage. This dimensional transformation allows each disc to provide adequate coverage area without compromising dispensing ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 solution provides effective hemostasis by ensuring complete wound coverage and rapid absorption of body fluids, significantly reducing bleeding time and improving the ease of placement and handling during minimally invasive procedures.

Implementation Method 1

The porous material of the hemostyptic advantageously has a pore volume of >90% by volume, in particular in the range from 96 to 99% by volume

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

The pore size of the hemostyptic is preferably less than 500 μm, in particular less than 300 μm, preferably less than 100 μm. The small pore size of the hemostyptic enables greater capillary forces to occur, resulting in a greater absorption capacity for liquids, in particular body liquids

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentEP2022409B1Haemostyptic for minimally invasive operations
Publication Date: 2015.12.23 AESCULAP AG
  • EP2022409B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5
  • EP2022409B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a hemostatic agent for minimally invasive surgery, particularly in the abdominal cavity, in the form of an absorbent disc (11) made of porous biodegradable material with a center and a radial extension of at least 10 mm from the center, wherein the disc is designed such that it can be transformed into a radially tapered intermediate state with a substantially rotationally symmetrical tapered radius, into which it can be inserted into the body through a tube (15) and from which it can be transformed back into the planar state.