Suture Anchor Driver Tensioning Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current suture anchor drivers require separate steps for inserting the anchor, releasing the sutures, and applying traction, leading to reduced surgeon efficiency and increased fatigue.

Innovation Solution

A suture anchor driver with a tensioning mechanism that includes a detent ring and a spool, allowing for automatic release of the suture and deployment of the anchor into its final shape upon user action.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate steps are used for inserting anchor, releasing sutures, and applying traction, then each step can be performed with dedicated mechanisms, but surgeon efficiency decreases and fatigue increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanchor deployment reliabilityVSAvoidsurgeon efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions (anchor insertion, suture release, and traction application) into a single integrated driver device. The driver simultaneously deploys the anchor while releasing sutures from retaining cleats and applying traction through the spool mechanism, eliminating the need for separate manual steps and improving surgical efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If multiple separate operations are required (removing driver, releasing sutures, tractioning), then each operation can be controlled independently, but the procedure time increases and surgeon fatigue increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedure simplicityVSAvoidprocedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The driver is pre-loaded with sutures on retaining cleats before the surgical procedure. During anchor insertion, the sutures are automatically released from the cleats as the anchor deploys, and the spool mechanism is pre-configured to provide traction. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual operations during surgery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If a tensioning mechanism is added to automatically release sutures and deploy anchor, then surgeon efficiency improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgeon efficiencyVSAvoiddriver structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spool is nested within the driver handle, and the sutures are wound around the spool in a compact configuration. The retaining cleats are integrated into the driver structure, with sutures nested between them. This nested arrangement allows the tensioning mechanism to be space-efficient while providing automatic suture release and anchor deployment functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS12213660B2Suture anchor driver

Publication Date: 2025.02.04 CONMED CORP

AI summary

A suture anchor driver with a tensioning mechanism. The suture anchor driver has a handle with a proximal end and a distal end. The handle has a recess with a shaft extending centrally therefrom. The suture anchor driver has a detent ring and a spool. The detent ring has a central aperture and one or more projections. The spool has a central aperture and is rotatable between first and second configurations. The spool has a plurality of protrusions extending from its side. The shaft extends through the central apertures in the detent ring and spool such that the projections of the detent ring are adjacent the protrusions extending from the spool. In the first configuration, one of the projections extends between two of the protrusions. In the second configuration, one of the projections is aligned with one of the protrusions.