Implantable Pressure Sensor for Rotator Cuff Sutures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rotator cuff muscle suture surgeries lack objective pressure measurement, relying on subjective doctor judgment, and existing pressure sensors are not biocompatible or suitable for high-pressure regions like the rotator cuff muscle, limiting effective rehabilitation and potentially leading to surgery recurrence.
Innovation Solution
An implantable rotator cuff muscle suture spacer with a pressure sensor, comprising a flexible polymer base layer, electrode layers, an inductance coil, and a capacitor layer, formed through semiconductor manufacturing, allowing for wireless pressure sensing using an L-C resonant circuit, enabling accurate pressure measurement in high-pressure environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional pressure sensors are used in rotator cuff muscle sutures, then pressure measurement is enabled, but the sensors are not biocompatible or suitable for high-pressure regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the pressure sensor by using a flexible polymer base layer instead of rigid traditional sensors. This allows the sensor to accommodate high-pressure environments while maintaining biocompatibility. The flexible material can deform under pressure, enabling accurate measurement without damaging surrounding tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining a flexible polymer base layer with electrode layers, inductance coils, and capacitor layers. This composite structure provides both mechanical flexibility for biocompatibility and electrical functionality for pressure sensing, resolving the contradiction between measurement capability and biological suitability.
2Measurement precision
If existing pressure sensors are used, then pressure sensing is possible, but they cannot be used in high-pressure regions like the rotator cuff muscle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the pressure sensor dynamic by using a flexible base layer that can adapt its shape and volume in response to pressure changes. This dynamic characteristic allows the sensor to operate in high-pressure regions where rigid sensors would fail, enabling the rotator cuff muscle suture to accommodate varying pressure loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible polymer base layer as the structural foundation of the pressure sensor. This flexible shell allows the sensor to be implanted in the rotator cuff muscle and withstand high-pressure conditions, providing both protection and measurement capability in an environment that would be unsuitable for rigid sensors.
3Ease of operation
If subjective doctor judgment is used for suture pressure, then surgery can be performed, but objective pressure values cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/subjective assessment method with an electronic sensing system. The pressure sensor converts mechanical pressure into electrical signals that can be objectively measured and recorded, eliminating the need for subjective doctor judgment while maintaining surgical feasibility. The sensor is implanted during the same surgical procedure but provides objective data for postoperative rehabilitation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides objective pressure measurement in rotator cuff muscle sutures, enhancing surgical outcomes and rehabilitation by overcoming the limitations of traditional sensors, allowing for precise pressure detection and reducing recurrence rates.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for wireless pressure sensing using an L-C resonant circuit
Implementation Method 2
an inductance coil region, surrounding the second electrode region, where the first electrode region and the second electrode region are connected to each other through the inductance coil region
Implementation Method 3
a capacitor layer, coated on the base layer and above the electrode layer to form a dielectric
Implementation Method 4
coated on the base layer and above the electrode layer to form a dielectric
Implementation Method 5
a base layer, made of a polymer material and having flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable rotator cuff muscle suture spacer with pressure sensing is provided, formed by a semiconductor manufacture procedure, including a base layer, made of a polymer material and having flexibility, and further including a first configuration region and a second configuration region, where the base layer is folded at imaginary fold line positions of the first configuration region and the second configuration region, so that the first configuration region is located above the second configuration region; a first electrode region, deposited on the first configuration region; a second electrode region, deposited on the second configuration region, corresponding to a position below the first electrode region, and configured to obtain a pressure sensing value; an inductance coil, deposited on the second configuration region and surrounding the second electrode region; and a capacitor layer, coated above a surface of the base layer to form a dielectric substance.