Slotted Suture Anchor for Minimally Invasive Tissue Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and cosmetic tissue repositioning procedures face challenges such as high risks of adverse effects, prolonged recovery times, and suboptimal symptom relief, often requiring invasive surgical methods or devices that cause temporary worsening of symptoms and prolonged catheterization.
Innovation Solution
A slotted suture anchor with a flattened tubular shape and rigid prongs that compress and securely attach sutures, allowing for minimally invasive tissue manipulation and repositioning without additional locking members, suitable for use in the body to treat conditions like BPH by compressing obstructing prostate tissue and improving urine flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical methods are used to treat BPH, then effective symptom relief is achieved, but invasive procedures and prolonged recovery are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical surgical instruments with a minimally invasive anchor device that can be delivered through a catheter. The anchor uses a slot mechanism that allows a wire to pass through and engage with the prostate tissue, enabling compression and repositioning without open surgery. This substitution of the delivery and engagement mechanism achieves effective treatment while minimizing invasiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a catheter as an intermediary delivery vehicle to transport the anchor device to the target location. The catheter serves as a mediator between the operator and the prostate tissue, allowing the anchor to be positioned and deployed minimally invasively. This intermediary approach enables effective treatment while avoiding direct invasive surgical contact.
2Strength
If additional locking members are added to secure the suture, then suture attachment strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking function and the structural support function into a single integrated anchor body. The slot structure itself provides both the guiding path for the wire and the locking mechanism through its geometric configuration. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate locking members while maintaining strong suture attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device is designed to secure the suture wire through its own structural features without requiring additional locking components. The slot geometry and the interaction between the wire and slot surfaces provide self-locking capability, where the anchor body itself performs the locking function that would otherwise require separate parts.
3Force
If rigid prongs are used to compress tissue, then compression effectiveness is improved, but risk of tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the compression force at specific points where the rigid prongs contact the tissue, while the rest of the device maintains flexibility. The rigid prongs are positioned to apply focused compression only where needed for effectiveness, while the overall device structure adapts to the surrounding tissue, minimizing unnecessary damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the anchor device by using rigid materials for the prongs while maintaining a flexible delivery catheter. This parameter change allows the prongs to provide effective compression force while the flexible delivery system minimizes tissue damage during insertion and positioning. The rigidity is localized to only the portions that need compression capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A slotted anchor that secures to a connector as part of an anchor assembly is disclosed. The slotted anchor includes a pair of spaced apart prongs which join together at a slot inception. The prongs are shaped and sized of a configuration and of a rigidity to substantially prevent deflection of the prongs. The prongs include inwardly facing protrusions that are configured to capture and deform the connector between the protrusions and prevent the connector from disengaging from the slotted anchor once engaged.