Rolled Medical Sheet with Anchoring Elements for Tissue Closure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Minimally invasive surgery, particularly endoscopic suturing, is time-consuming and requires intense training due to the complexity of using conventional suture materials and techniques, which has limited its acceptance among surgeons, and existing automated methods are not effective due to patient-specific tissue structures.

Innovation Solution

A medical product with a partially rolled-up flat structure that can be expanded and anchored in tissue using anchoring elements, allowing for quick and simple closure of body tissue, eliminating the need for traditional suturing techniques by utilizing an applicator to apply the product in an unrolled state and then rolling up to secure the tissue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional suture materials and techniques are used for endoscopic suturing, then tissue closure can be achieved, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and requires intense training

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue closure effectivenessVSAvoidsurgery time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the complex suturing process from traditional manual techniques and replaces it with a pre-formed medical product that can be applied as a single unit, eliminating the need for time-consuming needle and thread manipulation while maintaining effective tissue closure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The medical product acts as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the tissue, providing a simplified interface that requires minimal skill to operate while achieving reliable closure, thereby reducing both surgery time and training requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If conventional suture techniques are used, then tissue closure is achieved, but the complexity of the procedure limits acceptance among surgeons

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue closure effectivenessVSAvoidsuturing procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the complex manual suturing process entirely and replaces it with a pre-engineered medical product that achieves closure through its design rather than through complex surgical manipulation, thereby reducing procedure complexity while maintaining effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The medical product is designed as a disposable single-use item that eliminates the need for complex reusable suturing instruments and techniques, simplifying the procedure while ensuring reliability through consistent manufacturing quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Loss of time

If automated methods are used for tissue closure, then surgery time is reduced, but they fail to account for patient-specific tissue structures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgery timeVSAvoidadaptability to patient-specific tissue structures
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The medical product incorporates anchoring elements with specific local properties that can engage with various tissue structures, providing adaptability to patient-specific anatomies while maintaining a simple automated application process that reduces surgery time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The product design allows for dynamic adaptation to different tissue structures through its anchoring mechanism, enabling a single automated device to effectively handle varied patient-specific anatomies without requiring multiple specialized tools

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3011914B1Medical product and medical kit for use in the closure of biological tissue
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 AESCULAP AG
  • EP3011914B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1d
  • EP3011914B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

The invention relates to a medical product (10) comprising a flexible, at least partially rolled-up sheet (12) which can be transformed, preferably pre-tensioned, into an expanded or spread-out, in particular unrolled, state by at least partially releasing a rolling force, wherein the sheet (12) comprises anchoring elements (14) for anchoring in biological, in particular human or animal, tissue. The invention further relates to a medical kit.