Suture Anchor Management Device with Pivotable Doors

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Solution Overview

Problem

The management of sutures during the reattachment of detached soft tissue to bone is challenging due to tangling and accessibility issues during the deployment and implantation of suture anchors, which complicates the healing process.

Innovation Solution

A suture management device with a handle, shaft, and releasable door system that maintains sutures in a predetermined arrangement, preventing tangling and ensuring easy access, featuring elongate grooves and pivotable doors to securely hold and release sutures and needles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple sutures are attached to the suture anchor, then the reattachment function is improved, but suture management and positioning become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereattachment functionVSAvoidsuture management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suture management device is divided into distinct functional segments: a handle for manipulation, a shaft for delivery, a suture anchor for bone attachment, and individual doors for each suture. Each door can be independently opened to release a specific suture, allowing organized management of multiple sutures without tangling or confusion during the surgical procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If sutures are maintained in a fixed position during implantation, then suture organization is improved, but accessibility to sutures is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture organizationVSAvoidsuture accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The doors are designed to be dynamically adjustable between a closed position (maintaining suture organization and preventing tangling during anchor implantation) and an open position (providing easy access to individual sutures when needed). This dynamic mechanism allows the system to adapt its state based on the procedural requirements at different stages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If sutures are easily accessible during surgery, then surgical efficiency is improved, but suture tangling increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical efficiencyVSAvoidsuture tangling

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The doors act as intermediary structures between the suture anchor and the external surgical field. Each door provides a controlled access point that allows the surgeon to retrieve individual sutures when needed while preventing unauthorized access or accidental tangling of multiple sutures simultaneously. The door mechanism mediates between the need for accessibility and the need to prevent harmful tangling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9943304B2Suture anchor management

Publication Date: 2018.04.17 WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

A suture management device comprises a handle defining at least a first door cavity, a shaft extending distally from the handle, and a suture anchor coupled to a distal end of the shaft. The suture anchor is configured to couple one or more sutures to a bone. A first releasable door is sized and configured to fit within the first door cavity. The first releasable door is releasably coupled to the handle. The first releasable door defining a suture channel extending longitudinally about the circumference of the releasable door. The suture channel is configured to receive the one or more sutures therein.