Pivoting Suturing Device 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 difficulties in using suture needles with forceps.
Innovation Solution
A suturing device with a flywheel portion and curved arms, featuring a ferrule engaging tip and release ramp, is designed to pivot and rotate, allowing for remote delivery and secure placement of sutures, enabling precise suturing through minimal invasive entry points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional suture needles with forceps are used for minimally invasive cardiac surgery, then the surgical procedure can be performed through small openings, but the manipulation of sutures becomes difficult and imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized needle device with a ferrule and curved arm that acts as an intermediary between the suture material and the delivery system. The ferrule engages with the curved arm to securely hold and manipulate the suture, eliminating the difficulty of handling sutures with traditional forceps while maintaining minimally invasive access
Solution Approach 2:
The needle device is segmented into distinct functional components: a ferrule portion for suture engagement, a curved arm for mechanical advantage and positioning, and a needle shaft for tissue penetration. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall ease of operation without requiring a completely complex integrated system
2Ease of operation
If minimally invasive entry points are used for cardiac surgery, then patient trauma is reduced, but the precision and accessibility for suturing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The curved arm of the needle device is specifically designed to navigate the constrained geometry of minimally invasive access paths. The curvature allows the device to bend and reach target suturing locations through small openings while maintaining precise control over suture placement, thereby preserving both accessibility and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical manipulation of sutures with forceps with a more sophisticated mechanical system involving the ferrule-curved arm interaction. This substituted mechanism provides enhanced control and precision for suture placement through minimally invasive access points
Data Source
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.