Pivotable Suture Needle with Ferrule Engagement for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques face challenges in efficiently and precisely manipulating sutures through small openings for procedures like neochordal replacement, valve annuloplasty, or valve replacement, due to the difficulty in using suture needles with forceps.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive surgical suturing device with a head featuring ferrule holders and a tissue bite area, equipped with a shaft and a pivotable needle having curved arms with ferrule engaging tips, which can be rotated by an actuator from a retracted to an engaged position to securely place sutures in cardiac tissues and prosthetic devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional suture needles with forceps are used through minimally invasive openings, then surgical procedures can be performed with smaller incisions, but the manipulation and placement of sutures becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized suturing device as an intermediary tool that facilitates suture manipulation through minimally invasive openings. The device includes a needle holder with a needle that can be remotely delivered and reliably secured, acting as a mediator between the surgeon's control and the suture material within the patient's body. This intermediary device enables effective suture placement without requiring large incisions for direct manual manipulation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional manual suture manipulation through small openings is used, then minimally invasive surgery is achieved, but surgical efficiency and precision are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The suturing device is designed to be self-contained with integrated components including the needle holder, needle, and suture delivery mechanism. The device can be autonomously manipulated through the minimally invasive opening without requiring complex external manipulation tools. The needle can be rotated and positioned using an actuator that is part of the device itself, enabling efficient suture placement without sacrificing the minimally invasive approach.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional suture needles are manipulated through minimally invasive openings, then smaller incisions are used, but the precision and reliability of suture placement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional manual mechanical manipulation of suture needles with a more sophisticated mechanism. The needle is coupled to an actuator that can rotate and position the needle with precision through the minimally invasive opening. This mechanical substitution eliminates the difficulty and imprecision associated with manual forceps manipulation, enabling reliable suture placement while maintaining small incision sizes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A suturing device for minimally invasive surgery is disclosed. The suturing device has a head defining one or more ferrule holders and a tissue bite area. The device also has a first needle comprising a flywheel portion and one or more curved arms extending from the flywheel portion, each of the one or more curved arms comprising a ferrule engaging tip, wherein the first needle is pivotably coupled to the head. The suturing device further has a first actuator coupled to the first needle and configured to rotate it from a retracted position, where the ferrule engaging tip of each of the one or more curved arms starts away from the one or more ferrule holders, through the tissue bite area, and to an engaged position where the ferrule engaging tip of each of the one or more curved arms is operationally aligned with the one or more ferrule holders.