Removable Anastomosis Support for Minimally Invasive Vessel Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical anastomosis procedures, such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries, involve invasive techniques that result in significant scarring, discomfort, and prolonged recovery times due to large incisions and sternum breaking, posing risks of infection and requiring extensive healing.
Innovation Solution
The development of apparatuses and methods that include connectors and separators to facilitate the joining of bodily passages by supporting the relative positions of donor and receiving passages across a gap, using sutures to secure the connections, and allowing for the removal of the connectors while maintaining the suture loops to close the gap, thereby reducing invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional median sternotomy is used to perform CABG procedure, then surgeon has space to insert graft and suture, but patient experiences significant scarring, discomfort, infection risk, and prolonged recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical procedure is segmented into minimally invasive access points instead of a single large incision. The apparatus enables separate access to the graft site and anastomosis site through small incisions, allowing the surgical steps to be performed independently through separate access paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary apparatus that facilitates anastomosis between the graft and coronary artery through a distal access point. This intermediary device enables the connection to be made without requiring direct visual access or large incisions at the anastomosis site, using guidewires, catheters, and delivery systems as mediators.
2Ease of operation
If large incision and sternum breaking are performed, then surgeon can access heart and arteries, but patient suffers from significant scarring and prolonged recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical approach is divided into multiple small access points rather than one large incision. The apparatus enables separate minimally invasive access for graft harvesting and for coronary artery anastomosis, allowing each surgical step to be performed through small incisions that heal faster.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus employs dynamic, flexible components such as catheters and guidewires that can navigate through the cardiovascular system without requiring fixed, large incisions. The system adapts to the patient's anatomy and allows for minimally invasive manipulation of the graft and coronary artery.
3Ease of operation
If traditional open surgery is used, then surgeon can perform anastomosis, but patient experiences significant discomfort and scarring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses intermediary devices including delivery catheters, guidewires, and anastomosis tools that enable the surgical procedure to be performed through small incisions. These intermediaries transmit the necessary mechanical forces and positioning capabilities from the operator to the deep cardiovascular structures without requiring open surgical exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical open-surgery techniques with a combination of endovascular and minimally invasive mechanical systems. Instead of manual suturing through large incisions, the apparatus uses catheter-based delivery systems, wire-guided tools, and potentially automated or robot-assisted anastomosis mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for facilitating surgical anastomosis. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a first connector configured to engage an opening of a donor passage. A second connector is configured to engage an opening in a receiving passage. A separator is configured to support the first connector and the second connector and to fix relative positions of the end of the donor passage to edges of the opening in a receiving passage across a gap. The separator is configured to maintain the gap between the first connector and the second connector while multiple loops of a suture are passed through the edge of the opening in the donor passage and the edges of the opening in the receiving passage. The first connector, the second connector, and the separator are further configured to be removed from between adjacent loops of the multiple loops of the suture.