Surgical Needle Guiding Rod for Vesico-Urethral Anastomosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical devices are inadequate for facilitating the technically demanding vesico-urethral anastomosis in prostate cancer surgery, particularly during robotic procedures, as they fail to enable swift, safe, and effective needle insertion and rotation, often resulting in inadequate tissue union and increased risk of incontinence.
Innovation Solution
A surgical needle guiding rod with a solid, curved cross-section and a channel between two openings, allowing for easy needle passage and fixation means to maintain urethral position, enhancing the anastomosis procedure by guiding the needle through the urethra and ensuring proper tissue suturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional metallic urethral dilators with circular end opening are used to facilitate needle insertion, then the insertion gesture is simplified, but the needle rotation and tissue engagement are insufficient, resulting in inadequate anastomosis quality and increased risk of incontinence
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding rod is segmented into distinct functional zones: a distal portion with a conical channel for needle guidance and rotation, and a proximal portion with fixation means for securing the urethra. This segmentation allows each segment to perform its specific function optimally, resolving the contradiction between ease of needle insertion and reliability of anastomosis.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation means are applied to the urethra before needle insertion to pre-position and stabilize the tissue. This preliminary action ensures that the urethra remains stationary and properly positioned throughout the suturing process, enabling both easy needle access and reliable tissue engagement without movement or slippage.
2Productivity
If surgeons perform anastomosis after 2-3 hours of surgery when tired, then the surgical sequence is maintained, but the technical precision and care required for delicate urethral suturing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding rod acts as an intermediary device that provides mechanical guidance and stability for the needle and suture thread. This intermediary structure compensates for the surgeon's reduced precision by offering a stable platform and defined pathway, allowing accurate suturing even when the surgeon is fatigued from prolonged surgery.
3Reliability
If a solid rod with conical channel is used to guide needle rotation and engagement, then needle control and tissue involvement are improved, but the device complexity increases compared to simple dilators
Solution Approach 1:
The rod exhibits local quality variations: the distal portion features a conical channel with specific geometric properties for needle guidance and rotation, while the proximal portion has fixation means with different structural characteristics. Each local region is optimized for its specific function, achieving high reliability without requiring the entire device to be complex.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4a~5
AI summary
The present invention in the area of medical devices, for prostate and urethral surgery, namely providing anastomosis between the bladder and the urethra of a patient. It is an object of the invention a surgical needle guiding rod (1), which is solid and comprises a proximal portion (2) and a distal portion (3), a first opening (11) and a second opening (12) being formed in the surface of the distal portion (3) thereby forming a channel (4) through the solid rod (1) between the two openings, the channel (4) being such that it allows a surgical needle to pass by entering the one of the two openings and exiting the other opening. The rod (1) of the present invention thus is solid, only requiring the channel (4) between the two openings formed in the distal portion (3) to provide for suturing of urethral-bladder tissues and thereby facilitating the anastomosis procedure. A kit comprising such rod (1) and a surgical needle is also encompassed in the present invention.