Maxillary Frenum Clamping Tool with Guide Indentations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for maxillary frenum removal and reduction are invasive, cause tissue damage, and complicate suturing due to the lack of proper tissue handling and needle guidance, leading to esthetic concerns and increased bleeding.
Innovation Solution
A maxillary frenum clamping tool with articulating members featuring curved clamping ends, serrated jaw sections, and a ratcheting lock mechanism that allows for secure tissue gripping and precise suture placement, minimizing tissue damage and facilitating easier suturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional surgical hemostat is used to hold the frenum deep into the vestibular depth, then the frenum can be clamped and cut, but the technique is invasive causing deep cuts into oral tissues reaching the alveolar bone and spontaneous bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into distinct functional segments: curved clamping ends for lip retraction and frenum clamping, blunt tips for tissue protection, serrated jaw sections for secure gripping, and guide indentations for needle guidance. Each segment performs a specific function to minimize overall tissue damage while maintaining operational effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide indentations act as intermediaries between the clamping mechanism and the suture needle, providing a pathway that guides the curved suture needle through the clamped tissue without requiring deep invasive cuts. This intermediary structure enables precise suture placement while minimizing tissue trauma.
2Ease of operation
If traditional forceps are used to hold reduced maxillary frenum flaps together for suturing, then the flaps can be held, but surrounding tissue is easily damaged and it is difficult to suture the flaps together since they do not accommodate a curved suture needle
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping ends have different local qualities: blunt tips for protecting surrounding tissue from damage, and serrated jaw sections for firmly gripping the frenum tissue. This localized differentiation allows the tool to hold flaps securely without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping ends are curved to retract the upper lip while clamping the maxillary labial frenum, and the blunt tips have an arcuate curve arching back toward the finger loops. This curvature allows the tool to accommodate curved suture needles and follow the natural anatomy of the oral cavity, enabling easier suturing without tissue damage.
3Reliability
If classical frenectomy technique with deep cuts is used, then complete removal of frenum including attachment to underlying bone can be achieved, but the procedure is considered invasive and bleeding is spontaneous and bothersome
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping ends are curved to retract the upper lip and position the frenum securely before any cutting action. The blunt tips protect surrounding tissues in advance, and the serrated jaws firmly grip the frenum beforehand, preventing movement during the procedure and minimizing the need for deep invasive cuts.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool extracts only the necessary function of clamping and guiding for frenum removal without requiring complete deep dissection. The guide indentations extract the need for deep invasive cutting by providing a surface pathway for needle guidance, allowing removal with minimal tissue invasion and reduced bleeding.
4Productivity
If electrosurgery or lasers are used for frenum removal, then operating time is reduced and wound healing is rapid with instant hemostasis, but suturing is not performed which may increase scar tissue formation
Solution Approach 1:
The tool merges the clamping function with the suturing guidance function in a single integrated device. The guide indentations are built into the clamping structure itself, allowing the surgeon to clamp the frenum and then immediately perform suturing through the same instrument, combining two separate steps into one continuous action to minimize scar formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide indentations serve as intermediaries that facilitate the transition from clamping to suturing. They provide a physical pathway that guides the curved suture needle through the clamped tissue, making the suturing process easier and more precise, thereby encouraging proper suturing technique that minimizes scarring.
Data Source
AI summary
The maxillary frenum clamping tool includes two articulating members, each of the members having a clamping end and a gripping end. The clamping ends of the articulating members are curved to retract the upper lip while clamping the maxillary labial frenum and have blunt tips to minimize damage to the surrounding tissue. Immediately below the blunt tips, each member defines a jaw section having a serrated inner edge. The outer edges of the jaw sections define guide indentations for guiding a curved suture needle. The gripping end of each member defines a finger loop and part of a ratcheting lock mechanism for locking the members at set positions. During use, the clamping too may be used to clamp the maxillary frenum with the jaw portions so that the clamped tissue can be easily sutured using the guide indentations.