Pelvic Suture Anchor via Nested Delivery Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intracorporeal suturing during surgery is challenging due to the difficulty in manipulating suturing instruments within small incisions and the inability to visually see the suture site, making it hard for surgeons to accurately place and tie sutures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical suture fixation system comprising a delivery guide, an anchor, a movable anchor deployment component, and a spring mechanism, which guides the anchor into a tissue location through a conduit, allowing the anchor to be securely placed with a length of suture attached, enabling fixation of support materials within the patient's body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the surgeon uses traditional suturing instruments through small incisions, then the incision size is minimized, but the ability to see the suture site is lost and manipulation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor deployment component is inserted through the delivery guide, which itself is introduced through a small incision. The nested structure allows complex suturing functionality to be delivered through a minimally invasive access point, resolving the contradiction between small incision size and operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery guide acts as an intermediary structure that guides the anchor deployment component to the precise tissue location. This mediator enables accurate placement deep within the pelvis while maintaining a small external incision, addressing both the minimization of incision size and the need for precise manipulation
2Device complexity
If the surgeon digitally palpates to locate landmarks, then visual equipment is minimized, but suture placement precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery guide serves as a physical intermediary that translates the surgeon's digital palpation into precise anchor placement. The guide structure provides tactile feedback and mechanical guidance, enabling accurate suture placement without relying on complex visual equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces visual guidance mechanisms with a mechanical guidance system based on digital palpation and tactile feedback through the delivery guide. This substitution maintains precision while minimizing the need for complex visual equipment in the confined pelvic space
3Manufacturing precision
If the anchor deployment component is moved distally to deliver the anchor, then the anchor reaches the tissue location, but the spring mechanism is compressed
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is pre-loaded in a compressed state before anchor deployment. This preliminary action stores potential energy that is released to eject the anchor deployment component after delivery, reducing the force required by the surgeon and maintaining placement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static spring state to a dynamic ejection process. The spring compression force dynamically assists the distal movement of the anchor deployment component, enabling precise placement while managing the forces involved through controlled energy release
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
Facilitates precise placement and fixation of sutures in deep tissue locations without visual obstruction, allowing for efficient intracorporeal suturing and support material anchoring, improving surgical precision and reducing the need for multiple tools.
Implementation Method 1
a spring mechanism provided between the delivery guide and the anchor deployment component
Data Source
AI summary
A method of attaching a surgical suture inside of a pelvis includes moving an anchor deployment component relative to the anchor delivery component, pushing an anchor out of the anchor delivery component and into tissue inside of the pelvis, and engaging anchor with the tissue inside of the pelvis.