Suture Anchor Loading Device for Safe Manual Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for loading tissue anchors into needles expose operators to the sharp needle tip, risking injury and potential infection, especially when reloading contaminated needles.
Innovation Solution
A suture anchor loading device with a hinge-connected body that includes an anchor receiving portion, a suture receiving portion, and a needle receiving portion, allowing for safe manual loading of suture anchors into a needle without direct contact with the sharp tip, using a mechanism that tensions the suture to restrain the anchor and aligns it with the needle for secure insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the anchoring member is loaded into the needle by hand during manufacturing or use, then the loading process is simple and direct, but the operator is exposed to the sharp needle tip and potential infection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary loading device that acts as a mediator between the operator and the needle. The loading device includes a needle receiving channel that guides the needle and a loading channel that delivers the anchoring member to the needle tip without requiring the operator to touch the sharp needle directly, thus resolving the contradiction between simple loading and operator safety
Solution Approach 2:
The loading device is segmented into distinct functional components: a needle receiving portion with a channel for the needle, a loading portion with a channel for the anchoring member, and a release mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while isolating the operator from the harmful needle tip
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a loading device is used to protect the operator from the needle tip, then operator safety is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The loading device is designed as a multi-functional tool that can load different anchoring members into different needles while protecting the operator. The universal design includes adjustable components and standardized interfaces that reduce the need for multiple specialized devices, thereby limiting the increase in complexity while maintaining comprehensive safety and versatility
3Manufacturing precision
If the suture is tensioned to restrain the anchoring member, then the anchor is securely positioned and aligned, but the device requires additional mechanisms for tensioning and restraining
Solution Approach 1:
The loading device incorporates a self-tensioning mechanism where the suture itself is used to apply the necessary tension to restrain the anchoring member. The device geometry and friction characteristics are designed to automatically generate the required restraining force when the suture is pulled through, eliminating the need for external tensioning devices and reducing overall complexity while maintaining precise positioning
Data Source
Figure 1~1a
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A suture anchor member manual loading device may include a body comprising first and second portions preventing operator contact with a tip of a needle. An anchor receiving portion shaped to receive and restrain a suture anchor member is disposed in the first portion of the body. A suture receiving portion has a first end connected to the anchor receiving portion and a second end disposed on an outer surface of the body such that the suture receiving portion extends away from the anchor receiving portion at a non-parallel angle. When the suture is tensioned the anchor member is translationally and rotationally restrained against the anchor receiving portion. A needle receiving portion disposed in the second portion of the body is shaped to receive the needle such that the suture anchor member is received into a lumen of the needle when the needle is advanced through the needle receiving portion.