Releasable Suture Junctions for Multi-Strand Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sutures lack the ability to be easily joined and subsequently released during surgical procedures, limiting their versatility and efficiency in tissue repair and reinforcement.
Innovation Solution
The development of surgical constructs with releasable junctions, where a flexible strand is passed through repair strands to form releasable stitches, allowing for the repair strands to be joined and later released by pulling on the flexible strand, providing both repair and reinforcement capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional sutures are used for tissue repair, then the surgical procedure is simple, but the sutures lack the ability to be easily joined and subsequently released during surgical procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The suture system is divided into separate components: repair strands for tissue attachment and a releasing suture for joining and releasing. This segmentation allows each component to have specialized functions while maintaining overall system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The releasing suture acts as an intermediary element that temporarily joins repair strands together during surgery. It mediates between the need for secure joining and the requirement for subsequent release, enabling both functions without permanent attachment.
2Productivity
If multiple suture strands are loaded at a site without repeated tissue passage, then surgical efficiency is improved, but the method of joining and releasing strands becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The releasing suture is pre-configured with the repair strands before tissue passage. This preliminary joining allows multiple strands to be loaded simultaneously through the tissue in a single passage, improving surgical efficiency while the complexity is managed through pre-assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple repair strands are merged together at the tissue site using the releasing suture as a common joining element. This combining allows all strands to be attached to the tissue simultaneously without repeated passages, while the releasing suture provides a unified mechanism for subsequent release.
3Strength
If releasable junctions are formed by passing a flexible strand back and forth through repair strands, then additional support and reinforcement are provided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The releasing suture is passed through and nested within the repair strands multiple times to form reinforced junctions. This nesting creates multiple interlocking points that provide additional strength and reinforcement while maintaining the releasable nature of the connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The releasable junctions are designed with dynamic characteristics - they are securely formed during surgery but can be easily released when needed. The passing back and forth of the releasing suture creates a dynamic structure that transitions from a secured state to a released state through simple manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Reinforced surgical constructs and methods of tissue repairs. A surgical construct can offer both repair and shuttling capabilities to allow for a single pass to load multiple sutures at once. A surgical construct includes one or more repair sutures provided with one or more junctions (one or more releasable stitches), to allow the repair sutures to be joined and subsequently released. At least one of the one or more junctions (releasable stitches) can be formed by weaving back and forth another flexible strand (releasing suture) through the one or more repair sutures. When the flexible strand is pulled, it pulls out the one or more junctions (releasable stitches) from the repair sutures, freeing the repair sutures. The surgical construct may be part of a knotless or knotted construct.