Knotless Soft Tissue Repair Device with Self-Locking Anchors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tissue repair devices for suturing soft tissues like cartilage, ligament, or muscle are limited in their ability to effectively and efficiently repair tears without causing further tissue damage or requiring complex knot-tying procedures during arthroscopic procedures.
Innovation Solution
A soft tissue repair device featuring an inserter with externally carried flexible or rigid anchors and a flexible strand forming an adjustable knotless loop, allowing for deployment and self-locking without penetrating the tissue, facilitating efficient repair of tears in meniscus or other fibrous tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suturing devices are used to repair soft tissue tears, then the repair can be effective, but the procedure becomes complex requiring knot-tying and causing further tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the knot-tying function from the suturing process by using pre-formed loops on anchors that automatically lock into place. The anchors are designed with integrated loops that engage with each other or with tissue, eliminating the need for separate knot-tying steps and reducing procedural complexity while maintaining repair effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device segments the suturing function into separate components: anchors with pre-formed loops that are deployed independently into the tissue. Each anchor carries its own loop structure, allowing for modular deployment and simplifying the overall procedure by breaking down the complex knot-tying process into simpler anchor placement steps.
2Reliability
If traditional suturing methods are used, then tissue can be repaired, but further tissue damage occurs during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The anchors are designed to self-lock into place through their pre-formed loop structures that automatically engage with each other or with the tissue without requiring additional manipulation. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex maneuvers that could cause tissue damage, while still achieving effective repair.
3Ease of operation
If anchors with pre-formed loops are used, then knot-tying is eliminated and procedure is simplified, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchor structure with the loop function by integrating pre-formed loops directly into the anchor design. This combination eliminates the need for separate knot-tying devices or procedures, simplifying the surgical process while the anchor-loop integration manages the structural complexity within a single unified component.
Data Source
AI summary
A soft tissue repair device. The device includes an inserter having a distal portion, a first anchor carried externally onto the distal portion, a second anchor carried externally onto the distal portion, and a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop.