Retractable Sleeve Suture Snare for Endoscopic Tissue Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In endoscopic surgical procedures, existing suture passer devices face challenges in accessing and manipulating sutures through small portals or cannulas due to limited space, often requiring complex deployment mechanisms that may inadvertently contact sensitive tissue.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer device with a retractable outer sheath and a distally located snare mechanism, where the sheath is retracted to expose the snare for capturing sutures, reducing the device's space requirements and minimizing contact with sensitive tissue by allowing the snare to open and close without advancing it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the snare is advanced through tissue to capture suture, then the suture can be reached, but the device requires more space and increases risk of tissue contact
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of advancing the snare forward to capture the suture, the outer sheath is retracted backward to expose the snare, allowing it to open and capture the suture in place. This inverted approach reduces the space required for device deployment and minimizes tissue contact while maintaining suture capture functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The snare mechanism is nested within the outer sheath in a compact configuration. When the sheath is retracted, the snare is exposed and can open to capture the suture. This nesting arrangement allows the device to maintain a small profile during insertion while providing full functionality during operation.
2Volume of moving object
If the snare is exposed by retracting the outer sheath, then the space requirement is reduced, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The outer sheath is nested over the inner member containing the snare, creating a compact integrated structure. This nesting design allows the sheath to retract smoothly along the inner member while maintaining a small overall device profile, balancing complexity reduction with space efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the snare is advanced to reach distant suture sites, then accessibility is improved, but the risk of contacting sensitive tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses retraction of the outer sheath instead of advancement of the snare to achieve suture capture. This inversion allows the snare to remain protected within the sheath during insertion and only become exposed when needed, minimizing unnecessary tissue contact while maintaining the ability to reach distant suture sites through the cannula.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(f)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
A delivery device (suture passer or suture snare) (100, 200) that may be used in both open and endoscopic surgical procedures. The delivery device is designed with an internal member (50, 150) terminating in a snare (55) and a retractable outer sheath (sleeve) (40, 140). The device is passed through tissue, and the outer sheath is retracted (moved back), allowing the snare to open. The suture (70) is captured by the snare, and the outer sheath is then released so that it returns to its distal position, closing the snare and securing the captured suture. Since the snare is exposed by retracting the outer sheath (sleeve), rather than advancing the snare, the space requirement for the device is reduced, as is the possibility that the snare will undesirably contact sensitive tissue.