Preloaded Suture Passer Gate Prevents Entanglement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical suture passers face challenges in accessing difficult-to-reach tissue regions, such as the knee joint, due to limited navigation and control within tight spaces, risk of injury to adjacent structures, and difficulties in loading and managing sutures, particularly for complex suture patterns and multiple suture loops.
Innovation Solution
Development of preloaded suture passers with a gate or shield mechanism that prevents suture entanglement, allowing automatic reloading of sutures without manual intervention, enabling selective tissue penetration and complex suture patterns in tight spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a suture passer device is used to access difficult-to-reach tissue regions, then the ability to suture remote tissue is improved, but the risk of suture entanglement and device malfunction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device channels are segmented into separate, dedicated pathways: a first channel for the suture passer needle and a second channel for the suture material. This segmentation prevents the suture from becoming entangled with the needle or other device components while maintaining the ability to access difficult-to-reach tissue regions.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated second channel acts as an intermediary pathway that guides the suture material separately from the needle pathway. This intermediary channel prevents direct interaction between the suture and needle, eliminating entanglement risks while enabling complex suturing operations in hard-to-reach areas.
2Device complexity
If manual suture loading is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but surgical time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The suture material is pre-loaded into the second channel of the device before the surgical procedure begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming manual suture loading during surgery, thereby improving productivity without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture loading function is merged with the device structure itself, combining the suture storage, guidance, and delivery functions into the integrated two-channel design. This merging eliminates separate manual loading steps while maintaining overall device simplicity.
3Device complexity
If the suture passer uses a single channel for both needle and suture, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to control suture position and prevent entanglement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single channel is segmented into two separate channels: a first channel for the suture passer needle and a second channel for the suture material. This segmentation provides independent control over needle and suture positioning, eliminating entanglement while maintaining manageable device complexity through the unified two-channel architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a single-dimensional channel to a two-dimensional channel system, adding spatial separation between needle and suture pathways. This dimensional change enables independent control of suture position and needle trajectory without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Suture passers and methods of use. Described herein are suture passers preloaded with suture, including cartridges that couple to a suture passer to form a loaded suture passer that are configured to prevent a length of suture (e.g., already-passed suture) from re-entering the channel of the suture passer jaw and getting recaptured and/or entangled by the tissue penetrator. In particular, described herein are preloaded and automatically re-loading suture passers that are adapted to include a gate, guide, or shield on one of the jaws of the suture passer, and methods of operating such suture passers for surgical use including repairing tissue.