Knotless Soft Anchor Snare Assembly for Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing soft tissue to bone often require the tying of knots, which can lead to issues such as knot slippage and tissue damage from large knots, especially in tight joints.
Innovation Solution
The use of a snare assembly coupled to a soft anchor, where the soft anchor is reconfigurable from an unstressed to an anchoring configuration by applying tension to the filament, allowing for secure tissue attachment without the need for knots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional suture anchors with sliding knots are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then the tissue can be attached to the bone, but the knots may slip or loosen under tension, compromising the reliability of the fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the knot-tying step entirely from the tissue fixation process. Instead of using sliding knots that require multiple half-hitches to prevent slippage, the invention uses a knotless suture anchor system where the suture is secured within the anchor body through a reel or spool mechanism that inherently maintains tension without requiring external knotting.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture anchor system is designed to self-secure the suture without requiring the surgeon to tie knots. The anchor body includes internal structures such as reels, spools, or locking mechanisms that automatically maintain suture tension and prevent slippage once the suture is threaded through the tissue and secured within the anchor.
2Reliability
If large knots are tied to secure the suture, then the suture can be held in place, but the knots may damage surrounding tissue through abrasion or obstruction in tight joints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful knot structure from the fixation system entirely. By using internal securing mechanisms within the anchor body such as reels, spools, or locking features, the design eliminates the need for external knots that could abrade or obstruct surrounding tissue in tight joint spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor body serves as an intermediary structure that provides internal mechanisms for securing the suture. Rather than relying on knots formed from the suture material itself, the anchor body acts as a mediator with built-in securing features that hold the suture securely without requiring the suture to form potentially harmful knots.
3Reliability
If multiple half-hitches are added to prevent knot slippage, then the knot security improves, but the overall size and intrusiveness of the knot increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for multiple half-hitches by eliminating the external knot structure entirely. The internal securing mechanisms within the anchor body provide equivalent or superior security without adding volume, as the securing features are integrated into the compact anchor structure rather than requiring additional suture material and knot formations.
4Reliability
If conventional suture anchors require separate anchor attachment before suture operation, then the anchor can be securely fixed to bone, but the number of components and steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the anchor attachment and suture securing functions into a single integrated component. The suture anchor system is designed so that the anchor body simultaneously provides bone fixation and internal suture securing mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate anchor attachment steps and reducing the total number of components required for the procedure.
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
This method provides robust and strong tissue repair with minimized surgical trauma, as it eliminates the need for knot tying and reduces the number of components required for anchor fixation.
Implementation Method 1
The soft anchor and snare can be configured such that the soft anchor is reconfigurable from its first, unstressed configuration to its second, anchoring configuration by the application of tension to the filament.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for securing soft tissue to bone. One exemplary embodiment of a surgical soft tissue repair device includes a snare assembly coupled to a soft anchor in which the soft anchor has a first, unstressed configuration that can be used to insert the anchor into bone and a second, anchoring configuration that can be used to fixate the anchor in the bone. The snare assembly can be configured to actuate the anchor from the first configuration to the second configuration, and it can also be used to engage and approximate tissue by drawing the tissue closer to the anchor fixated in the bone. The snare assembly can be used in conjunction with a number of different anchor configurations, and other exemplary systems, devices, and methods for use with soft tissue repair are also provided.