Soft Tissue Repair Anchor With Transformable Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tendon repair methods face high failure rates due to overloading at the repair site, leading to adhesion formation, gap formation, and tendon rupture, primarily because they lack sufficient strength and stability during rehabilitation, especially when complex suture patterns are used for attaching soft tissue to bone.
Innovation Solution
A repair device system comprising a delivery device, an implant delivery member, and a repair device with an anchor having four legs that move from a linear to a formed position to securely couple soft tissue to bone, utilizing a capture member to prevent gapping and enhance healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If complex suture patterns are used to attach soft tissue to bone, then the initial repair strength is improved, but the device complexity and surgical time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical suture patterns with a simplified device system comprising an anchor, flexible member, and tensioning mechanism. The device provides equivalent or superior initial repair strength through its mechanical design while eliminating the need for complex suture techniques, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the repair system by introducing a pre-tensioned flexible member and adjustable tensioning mechanism. This allows optimization of repair strength independent of suture pattern complexity, enabling strong repairs with simple deployment procedures.
2Strength
If complex suture patterns are used for tendon repair, then initial repair strength is improved, but surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible member is pre-tensioned and pre-configured before implantation, with the tensioning mechanism pre-assembled on the anchor. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex intraoperative suture manipulation, significantly reducing surgical time while maintaining strong initial repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The device replaces time-consuming complex suture techniques with a simplified mechanical implantation process. The anchor with pre-configured flexible member can be deployed in a single motion, dramatically reducing surgical time compared to traditional multi-step suture procedures.
3Ease of operation
If early post-operative mobilization is performed to restore tendon function, then tendon function recovery is improved, but adhesion formation and repair site failure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning mechanism provides dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the repair strength to be optimized for early mobilization while maintaining stability. The system can accommodate controlled motion and rehabilitation protocols without compromising repair site integrity, resolving the contradiction between rehabilitation effectiveness and repair reliability.
4Strength
If the anchor legs are moved to a formed position to couple soft tissue, then the repair strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor legs are pre-configured in a linear position for easy implantation, then transformed to a formed position after deployment. This preliminary simple configuration followed by post-deployment transformation allows strong coupling without complicating the implantation procedure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor legs are designed to be movable between linear and formed positions, providing dynamic adaptability. This transformation capability allows the anchor to achieve strong coupling strength while maintaining simple initial deployment, resolving the contradiction between strength and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device configured to couple to soft tissue is provided. The repair device includes a capture portion and an anchor portion. The capture portion configured to extend with radial portions. The anchor portion includes a base with multiple legs extending therefrom. The multiple legs are configured to move from a linear position to a formed position such that, in the formed position, the multiple legs couple to structure of the capture portion.