Soft Tissue Repair Device With Curled Anchor Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tendon repair methods face challenges such as high failure rates due to overloading at the repair site, adhesion formation, and the need for complex and time-consuming surgical procedures, which can lead to reduced repair strength and increased risk of tendon rupture.
Innovation Solution
A soft tissue repair device comprising a first and second plate with anchors that have legs that can move from a perpendicular to a curled configuration, allowing for secure attachment to the tendon without gapping, and can be coupled with filaments for additional support, facilitating controlled elongation and healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If complex suture patterns are used to repair tendon, then initial repair strength is provided, but repair strength degrades quickly with loading and mobilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical suture system with a biological healing system. The device uses a barrier membrane to isolate the repair site, allowing natural tendon healing to occur without mechanical sutures. This substitution eliminates the degradation problem of suture materials while maintaining repair strength through biological processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a barrier membrane as an intermediary substance between the tendon ends. This membrane facilitates healing by preventing adhesion formation while allowing controlled movement, thereby maintaining repair strength over time without requiring complex mechanical suture patterns.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If postoperative therapy is utilized to reduce adhesion, then adhesion is reduced, but gap formation or tendon rupture occurs at the repair site
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier membrane serves as an intermediary that physically separates the tendon ends from surrounding tissues. This prevents adhesion formation by blocking the interface where adhesions would occur, while simultaneously protecting the repair site from excessive loading that could cause gap formation or rupture.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier membrane provides beforehand cushioning by creating a protective barrier at the repair site before any pathological processes occur. This pre-protection prevents both adhesion formation and excessive stress concentration that could lead to rupture, allowing safe postoperative mobilization.
3Reliability
If complex suturing procedures are used to fixate soft tissue to bone, then fixation is achieved, but procedure time increases and specialized surgeons are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical suturing procedures with a simplified device insertion process. The barrier membrane device can be inserted through a minimally invasive approach, eliminating the need for complex suture patterns and reducing surgical time while maintaining fixation reliability through the device's structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier membrane device serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides fixation, prevents adhesion, allows controlled movement, and promotes healing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate procedures or specialized techniques, reducing overall surgical time and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes a plate member and an anchor. The plate member having a periphery, the plate member configured to be positioned along an outer surface of the soft tissue. The anchor includes a base and six legs extending from the base, the six legs extending from the base being moveable to a curled configuration such that the six legs wrap around separate portions of the periphery of the plate member with the soft tissue therebetween. In this manner, the repair device may be anchored to the soft tissue.