Nested Needle Suture Delivery for Minimally Invasive Tissue Anchoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical methods for placing sutures deep within subcutaneous tissue from a remote access point are invasive, costly, and require extensive recovery time, often resulting in scarring and tissue sagging due to suture migration.

Innovation Solution

A surgical apparatus featuring a tether insertion device with nested needles and a suture insertion device with alignment features and a guide for passing sutures through small punctures, allowing for minimal incision and anchoring of sutures without deep anesthesia, using small diameter needles to reduce trauma and scarring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If barbed profiles are implanted to engage subcutaneous tissue at a remote location, then tissue engagement is achieved, but the barbs are prone to release after a relatively short period of time allowing the engaged tissue to sag

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue engagement stabilityVSAvoidduration of tissue engagement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the suture by incorporating enlarged portions with specific diameters (greater than the suture body) that create friction resistance. This parameter change allows the suture to resist migration through tissue without relying on barbs that release over time, thereby maintaining reliable tissue engagement for extended durations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If bulky suturing devices are used to place sutures from a remote access point, then suture placement is achieved, but considerable separation of tissue layers is required and blood vessels and nerves are prone to severing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture placement capabilityVSAvoidtissue trauma and vessel severing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the problematic bulky mechanism and replaces it with a simplified needle-based delivery system. The suture is delivered through a small-gauge needle that can be inserted through minimal skin punctures, eliminating the need for bulky devices that require considerable tissue separation and pose risks to blood vessels and nerves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a needle as an intermediary delivery vehicle that carries the suture to the target location through minimal tissue disruption. The needle enables precise remote placement of the suture without requiring the tissue-separating bulky mechanisms, thereby reducing trauma to blood vessels and nerves while maintaining ease of suture placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If conventional suturing instruments with hollow bodies are used, then sutures can be threaded through tissue, but the suture can pass through the aperture unimpeded and be extracted, providing no spacing within or between successive suture stitches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture threading capabilityVSAvoidsuture spacing control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the suture by incorporating enlarged portions that act as spacers. These enlarged portions have diameters greater than the suture body, creating friction resistance and preventing the suture from passing through tissue apertures unimpeded. This enables precise control of suture spacing both within and between successive stitches, while still allowing the suture to be threaded through tissue using a needle delivery system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Object-affected harmful factors

If small diameter needles are used to minimize scarring, then trauma and scarring are reduced, but the ability to anchor sutures without migration is challenged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescarring and traumaVSAvoidsuture anchoring stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of the suture itself by incorporating enlarged portions with specific diameter variations. These enlarged portions create friction resistance against tissue walls, allowing the suture to anchor reliably without migration even when delivered through small-diameter needles that minimize scarring and trauma. The enlarged portions act as anchor points that prevent the suture from working through the tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10064617B2Surgical suturing device, method and tools used therewith

Publication Date: 2018.09.04 ALPHA SCIENTIFIC CORP(US)

AI summary

An apparatus for remotely and subcutaneously positioning a tethering strand in tissue includes a housing, an actuator coupled with the housing for longitudinal reciprocation relative to the housing, and a nested pair of needles including a first needle coupled with the housing and a second needle coupled with the actuator. One of the needles has a sharpened tip and another one of the needles has a blunted tip. The first needle has a first length and the second needle has a second length, and the first length and the second length are selected so that advancement of the second needle using the actuator causes the sharpened tip to project beyond the blunted tip, and so that retraction of the second needle using the actuator causes the blunted tip to project beyond the sharpened tip.