Automatically Reloading Suture Passer Cartridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture passer devices face challenges in accessing difficult-to-reach tissue regions, particularly in joints like the knee, due to limited navigation capabilities and difficulty in loading sutures, leading to increased surgical time and risk of injury.
Innovation Solution
Development of preloaded and automatically reloading suture passer systems with cartridges that allow for multiple suture lengths to be passed without manual reloading, featuring a tissue penetrator with a releasable hold mechanism to tension and load additional suture bights automatically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If suture passer devices are used to access difficult-to-reach tissue regions, then surgical access to joint regions is improved, but surgical time increases due to difficulty in loading sutures
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is pre-loaded into the tissue penetrator before the device is inserted into the body. The cartridge contains multiple suture bights that are automatically fed to the tissue penetrator, eliminating the need for manual suture loading during surgery. This preliminary preparation of suture loading resolves the contradiction by maintaining easy access to difficult regions while preventing time loss from manual reloading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates an automatic reloading mechanism where the cartridge system self-feeds suture bights to the tissue penetrator without requiring external manual intervention. The releasable hold mechanism automatically releases and tensions the suture as needed, allowing the device to service itself during the suturing process, thus maintaining operational ease while reducing surgical time.
2Productivity
If multiple suture lengths are passed manually, then complete suturing is achieved, but risk of injury increases due to repeated manual reloading
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic reloading system allows the device to pass multiple suture lengths without requiring the surgeon to manually reload the suture repeatedly. The cartridge system automatically feeds and tensions each suture bight, reducing the number of times the surgeon must manipulate the suture and device, thereby minimizing the risk of accidental injury while maintaining high productivity in completing complex suturing patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple suture bights are pre-loaded into the cartridge before insertion. This preliminary preparation allows the device to sequentially pass multiple sutures without requiring intermediate manual reloading operations, thus achieving complete suturing while minimizing the surgeon's exposure to potential injury risks associated with repeated manual suture handling.
3Productivity
If automatic reloading mechanism is added, then surgical efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components: a reusable suture passer body and a replaceable cartridge containing the suture and reloading mechanism. This segmentation allows the complex automatic reloading functionality to be contained within the disposable cartridge, improving surgical efficiency while limiting the complexity exposure of the permanent device. The cartridge can be easily replaced without affecting the main device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge containing the automatic reloading mechanism and suture is designed as a disposable component. This allows the complex reloading mechanism to be manufactured at lower cost using simpler materials and processes, knowing it will be discarded after a single use. The disposable nature justifies the added complexity in the cartridge while maintaining overall system efficiency, as the expensive reusable body remains simple and durable.
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; the suture passer may be operated to pass one or more lengths of suture without having to be manually reloaded. In particular, described herein are preloaded and automatically reloading apparatuses typically.