Self-Gripping Hernia Prosthesis for Stable Tissue Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable prostheses for soft tissue and muscle wall defects often require provisional fixation methods like suturing or stapling, which can be cumbersome and may not maintain optimal positioning during tissue integration.
Innovation Solution
An implantable prosthesis with a self-gripping mechanism featuring biologically compatible repair fabric and protruding tissue grips, including barbs configured to penetrate and securely engage tissue, reducing the need for additional anchoring methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If provisional fixation methods (suturing, stapling) are used to secure the prosthesis, then the prosthesis can be anchored in place, but the surgical procedure becomes more cumbersome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis incorporates self-gripping tissue grips that automatically penetrate and secure to the tissue without requiring external sutures or staples. The grips are configured to self-engage with the tissue, providing provisional fixation through the prosthesis's own structural features rather than requiring separate fixation components or procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis is divided into functional segments including the grip body, grip head with barbs, and repair fabric layers. This segmentation allows the grip mechanisms to be independently optimized for tissue penetration and engagement while the repair fabric provides the structural mesh for tissue ingrowth, separating the fixation function from the repair function.
2Strength
If tissue grips with barbs are added to the prosthesis, then tissue engagement and grip strength are improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue grip features (grip body, grip head, barbs) are merged with the repair fabric structure. The grips protrude from the repair fabric and are secured to it, combining the fixation function with the repair mesh into a single integrated prosthesis unit rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The barbs are strategically positioned at the grip head to provide localized tissue engagement capability. The repair fabric maintains its porous structure for tissue ingrowth in other regions, so the complex barb structure is concentrated only where tissue engagement is needed, optimizing strength without uniformly increasing complexity throughout the entire prosthesis.
3Manufacturing precision
If the prosthesis is designed to fit the anatomical shape of the defect, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the prosthesis may move during tissue integration without provisional fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue grips are pre-configured on the prosthesis to perform the fixation action during the surgical insertion process. As the prosthesis is placed over the defect, the grips automatically penetrate and engage the tissue, providing immediate provisional fixation that maintains the anatomically fitted position during the tissue integration period.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-gripping hernia prosthesis including a layer of repair fabric and a plurality of tissue grips protruding from a surface of the repair fabric. The grip may be fabricated independent of the repair fabric and subsequently attached to the layer of fabric. A backing layer may be employed to secure each grip to the repair fabric. Each base may include a base that is located between the repair fabric and the backing layer. Alternatively, the base may be attached directly to the backing layer. The tissue grips may be configured to minimize entanglement with the repair fabric.