Self-Sealing Surgical Buttress via Nucleophilic-Electrophilic Foam
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical repair materials fail to effectively seal and reinforce staple lines in delicate tissues, such as lung, esophageal, intestinal, and vascular tissues, leading to issues like air or fluid leakage and tissue tears, particularly during hernia repairs.
Innovation Solution
Development of surgical buttresses and hernia patches formed from the reaction product of nucleophilic and electrophilic precursor components, combined with a fibrous substrate, which can self-seal and provide hemostasis by forming a foam structure that enhances tissue ingrowth and mechanical support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical repair materials are used to reinforce staple lines, then mechanical support is provided, but sealing against air or fluid leakage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical repair material incorporates a porous foam structure that allows tissue ingrowth while maintaining sealing properties. The porous architecture provides both mechanical support and effective sealing against air or fluid leakage by creating a barrier that prevents passage of fluids and gases while permitting biological integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials combining biocompatible polymers with specific mechanical properties and sealing characteristics. The composite structure integrates reinforcement fibers within a foam matrix, providing both mechanical strength to prevent tissue tears and sealing capability to prevent leakage, simultaneously addressing multiple functional requirements.
2Strength
If biocompatible fabric reinforcing material is placed between staple and tissue, then tissue tears are prevented, but material complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the reinforcing fabric and sealing foam into a single integrated composite material. The fabric reinforcement is embedded within the foam matrix, creating a unified structure that provides both tear resistance and sealing functionality without requiring separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining enhanced strength.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If hernia patches are used for sealing and reinforcing, then staple line durability is improved, but tissue ingrowth may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hernia patch utilizes a porous foam structure with controlled pore size and distribution that facilitates tissue ingrowth while maintaining structural integrity. The porosity allows cells and blood vessels to penetrate and integrate with the material over time, ensuring reliable tissue incorporation, while the overall foam architecture provides durable mechanical support and sealing for long-term repair effectiveness.
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 proposed medical devices effectively seal and reinforce staple lines, reducing leakage and tissue tears, while allowing for tissue ingrowth and providing hemostasis, thus improving post-operative recovery and the durability of hernia repairs.
Implementation Method 1
contacting a fibrous substrate with a nucleophilic precursor component in solution to form a medical device precursor; contacting an electrophilic precursor component with the medical device precursor; and allowing the nucleophilic precursor component and the electrophilic precursor component to react to form a medical device
Implementation Method 2
lyophilizing the medical device precursor
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a medical device and methods of using the same. In embodiments, the medical device may be a buttress formed of nucleophilic buttress components and electrophilic buttress components which react to both form the buttress and provide the buttress with self-sealing capabilities after a staple or some other fixation device is placed therethrough, thereby enhancing its hemostatic properties. In other embodiments, the medical device is a hernia patch formed of a fibrous substrate, nucleophilic precursor components and electrophilic precursor components.