Laparoscopic Patch Deployment Device with Shape Memory Alloy Anchors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for hernia repair require invasive techniques, leading to prolonged recovery times and increased trauma to the patient, as they involve large balloons that can compromise visibility and maneuverability within the abdominal cavity, lack mechanical stiffness, and have limited bidirectional deployment and attachment capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A deployment and attachment device (DAD) with flexible arms that can be reversibly transformed from a straight to a laterally curved configuration, allowing for controlled, bidirectional deployment and attachment of a patch to biological tissue, featuring a central shaft for mechanical stiffness and biocompatible materials for secure tissue anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional open surgery is used for hernia repair, then effective corrective surgery is achieved, but patient trauma increases and recovery time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical approach is segmented into minimal incisions (ports) rather than one large open incision. Multiple small ports allow insertion of specialized instruments while preserving most abdominal wall integrity, reducing trauma and enabling laparoscopic hernia repair with faster recovery
Solution Approach 2:
A laparoscope acts as an intermediary device to provide visual guidance during the procedure. The scope inserted through a small port allows the surgeon to see inside the abdominal cavity without making large incisions, enabling precise tissue manipulation and patch placement while minimizing patient trauma
2Object-affected harmful factors
If laparoscopic surgery with multiple ports is used, then patient trauma is reduced, but surgical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The laparoscope and associated instruments are designed as multi-functional tools that can perform various surgical tasks through the same small ports. The scope provides both visualization and can be combined with attachment devices that integrate deployment and fixation functions, reducing the need for multiple specialized instruments and simplifying the overall surgical system
3Strength
If traditional tissue anchors with rigid legs are used, then secure tissue attachment is achieved, but tissue invasion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device utilizes shape memory alloy materials that change their physical state in response to temperature changes. The alloy transitions from a deformed state during insertion to a recovered shape during deployment, enabling the legs to bend and conform to tissue contours rather than forcing rigid penetration, thereby reducing tissue damage while maintaining attachment strength
Solution Approach 2:
The shape memory alloy undergoes a phase transition when exposed to body temperature. The material transforms from a martensitic phase (deformed, flexible during insertion) to an austenitic phase (recovered shape, secure attachment), enabling the anchor legs to adapt to tissue morphology and achieve strong bonding with minimal invasive force
4Ease of operation
If large balloons are used for patch deployment, then patch deployment is achieved, but visibility and maneuverability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment mechanism extracts the patch from a compressed state within the laparoscope and expands it gradually during deployment. The patch is fed through the scope in a controlled manner, allowing the surgeon to visualize each stage of deployment while maintaining the small port size and avoiding the need for large balloons that would block the view
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment system uses dynamic, controllable expansion rather than static large balloon inflation. The patch can be deployed progressively as the laparoscope is advanced or retracted, allowing the surgical field to remain clear and visible throughout the procedure while still achieving complete patch deployment
Data Source
AI summary
This present invention generally relates to devices and methods for repairing an aperture in a biological tissue. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system for closing an aperture in a biological tissue including a handle, an elongate shaft connected to the handle, and a deployment scaffold connected to the shaft, in which the scaffold is configured to releasably retain a surgical implant and the scaffold is configured to deploy and attach the surgical implant to the biological tissue.