Polymeric Rivet Pelvic Implant Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical implants for pelvic health, such as those used to treat prolapse and incontinence, often rely on insecure joints formed by glues or sutures, which can lead to biological rejection or infection, and require cumbersome assembly by surgeons during procedures.
Innovation Solution
The use of a polymeric rivet to join implant materials together, providing a secure and consistent attachment that reduces inflammatory tissue response and allows for pre-assembled implants, minimizing surgical preparation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glues or sutures are used to join implant materials, then the implant can be assembled, but the joint security is insufficient and biological rejection or infection may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical bonding methods (glues) and mechanical stitching methods (sutures) with a mechanical fastening system using rivets. The rivet system provides secure mechanical attachment through physical interlocking with the implant materials, eliminating the need for chemical adhesives that may cause biological rejection and avoiding sutures that create potential infection pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The rivet acts as an intermediary component that joins implant materials together. The rivet shaft passes through apertures in the materials while the rivet head provides a bearing surface, creating a reliable mechanical connection that is biologically inert and does not provoke rejection responses.
2Adaptability or versatility
If implants are assembled by surgeons during surgery, then the implant can be customized, but the surgical preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant components are pre-assembled with rivets during manufacturing before reaching the surgical setting. This preliminary assembly action eliminates the need for surgeons to perform time-consuming assembly procedures during surgery, while still allowing for customization through selection of different pre-assembled implant configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is divided into separate components (first material with aperture, second material with aperture) that can be independently manufactured and then pre-assembled with rivets. This segmentation allows for modular pre-assembly while maintaining the ability to customize the final implant configuration.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple pieces of implant material are joined together, then the implant can be formed, but the assembly process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex surgical assembly procedures with a simple mechanical riveting system. The rivet insertion process through aligned apertures provides a straightforward, repeatable joining method that simplifies the assembly process compared to traditional suture or adhesive methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A pelvic implant having a central support portion, and a plurality of extension members, is provided. The extension members can be positioned or extend from the central support portion in opposing pairs. The extension members are generally attached to the central support portion at respective junctions (e.g., via rivets), and sheaths or covers can be employed to cover at least a length or portion of the extension members. Further, one or more spanning members can extend from a first of the opposed and paired extensions to the opposing extension, e.g., under or across the central portion and the respective junctions to provide additional tensile strength for the implant during deployment or implantation.