Protected Needle Track for Minimally Invasive Suturing Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) suturing is challenging due to limited space, visualization, and mobility, with existing devices being difficult to maneuver and posing risks of needle pricks and organ penetration.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held suturing instrument with a deployable needle track and protected suturing needle that mimics manual suturing, allowing one-handed operation and preventing direct needle handling, suitable for use in small cannulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a small puncture and cannula are used for minimally invasive surgery, then patient pain and disability are reduced, but instrument manipulation precision and visualization are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The suturing needle is nested within a protective housing that guides its movement through a defined needle track. The housing contains the needle during insertion and retraction, exposing it only during the suturing action. This nesting approach maintains the benefits of minimally invasive access while improving needle control and visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective housing acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the needle. The housing provides a structured environment for needle manipulation, with features like a needle track and engagement mechanisms that improve precision without requiring the surgeon to directly handle the needle through limited visual feedback.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual suturing by hand is performed in MIS, then flexibility in suturing technique is improved, but the risk of needle pricks and organ penetration is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The protective housing serves as an intermediary that reduces direct needle handling by the surgeon. The needle is contained within the housing and guided through a defined track, exposing it only during the actual suturing action. This intermediary structure maintains suturing flexibility while significantly reducing the risk of accidental needle pricks and organ penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is pre-positioned within the protective housing before insertion into the body. The housing is inserted first through the cannula, and the needle is only exposed and deployed after the housing is properly positioned. This preliminary action ensures the needle is ready for suturing while minimizing the time it is exposed and vulnerable to causing harm.
3Reliability
If curved suturing needles are used in MIS, then suturing effectiveness is improved, but direct visualization of the needle is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The protective housing acts as an intermediary that improves needle visualization. The housing has a defined structure with a needle track that can be visualized through the cannula, providing spatial context for the needle's position and movement. This structured intermediary makes it easier to track the curved needle's path compared to visualizing the needle alone in the limited MIS environment.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for minimally invasive suturing are disclosed. An illustrative device includes a housing defining an arced needle track therein having a first end and a second end separated by a gap defined in the housing to receive tissue to be sutured. The arced needle track is configured to receive an arced needle therein. The housing further defines an arced guide track therein to receive a guide. The device further includes a guide slidably disposed in the arced guide track displaceable between a first position along the guide track and a second position along the guide track. The guide includes a pawl to releasably engage the arced needle. The device further includes a filament operably coupled to the guide. The filament traverses a pathway from a proximal end of the housing toward a distal end of the housing.