Segmented Tissue Graft for Stress Reduction and Expandability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tissue grafts are constrictive, leading to recurrence, stress tears, and inability to expand with increased pressure, and lack traction with anatomic points, limiting their effectiveness in reconstructive and aesthetic procedures.
Innovation Solution
The use of templates and apparatus to create tissue grafts with variable patterns and surface features, allowing for selective expandability, stress reduction, and enhanced traction, using materials like synthetics and metals, and incorporating medicants or other materials to improve graft integration and longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solid porous sheet with or without perforations is used for tissue graft reconstruction, then fluid egress and new tissue in growth are enhanced, but the graft becomes constrictive leading to recurrence, stress tears, and inability to expand with increased pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The graft is divided into multiple expandable cells or compartments that can independently expand when pressure is applied. This segmentation allows the graft to maintain structural integrity while adapting to pressure changes and expanding to fill defect spaces, resolving the contradiction between maintaining a solid porous structure for tissue growth and enabling expandability.
Solution Approach 2:
The graft incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to change its physical state from a compact form to an expanded form in response to applied pressure. This dynamic capability enables the graft to adapt to varying pressure conditions intraoperatively, maintaining reliability for tissue growth while gaining the ability to expand when needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a constrictive tissue graft is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but the incidence of recurrence and stress tears increases due to inability to expand
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the graft into multiple cells with internal struts, the design maintains structural integrity through the strut network while allowing the overall graft to expand. The segmented structure distributes stress across multiple elements, reducing the likelihood of stress tears and recurrence while preserving necessary structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The graft combines different material properties within a single structure - the porous walls provide structural integrity and tissue growth capability, while the internal cell structure provides expandability. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of structural stability and resistance to recurrence.
3Ease of manufacture
If a standard tissue graft without surface patterns is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but traction between the graft and specific anatomic points is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Surface patterns are added to specific local areas of the graft where traction is needed, rather than modifying the entire graft structure. This localized approach enhances traction at critical attachment points while maintaining the overall simplicity of the graft design and manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Surface patterns incorporating curved or spheroidal features are applied to the graft to enhance traction. These curved surfaces increase the friction and mechanical interlocking with anatomic tissues, improving strength of attachment without complicating the fundamental graft structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a tissue graft is designed for expandability, then adaptability to pressure gradients is improved, but the complexity of the graft structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The graft is segmented into repeating cellular units with internal struts, creating a modular structure that provides expandability through a relatively simple repeating pattern. This segmentation allows adaptability to pressure gradients while keeping the overall structural complexity manageable through repetition of standardized elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cellular structure with internal struts serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides expandability, maintains structural integrity, facilitates fluid egress, and supports tissue ingrowth. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate structural elements, thereby limiting the increase in overall complexity while achieving adaptability to pressure gradients.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus is provided for creating an internal reconstruction tissue graft. Templates may be used to create a multitude of patterns in a variety of tissue reconstruction grafts. An apparatus may be used to create an internal tissue graft for reconstruction through either compression and/or removal of segments. An apparatus may be used, through either compression and or removal of segments of a preformed template made of synthetics and or metal that mirrors a template that can be used as an internal tissue graft for reconstruction. In a method, such as using software analysis and an apparatus, the physical properties of the tissue graft and its pre- and post-operative properties and appearance may be measured.