Suture Anchor Insertion Ring for Filament Tracking and Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tools for managing suture filament during minimally invasive tissue repair procedures, such as endoscopies and laparoscopies, face challenges in tracking multiple filaments, preventing tangling, and applying tension, especially when inserting surgical implants into bone.
Innovation Solution
A suture anchor insertion tool with a slidable ring around the elongate shaft that prevents rotation and includes slots for filament management, combined with a threader for efficient filament loading and tension application, allowing for secure and organized handling of suture filaments during the procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a long length of suture filament is used to perform the repair, then the filament can extend outside the trocar for manipulation, but it becomes difficult to keep track of multiple filaments and apply tension
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion tool is divided into multiple functional segments: a handle for operation, an elongate shaft for insertion, and a ring component for filament management. The ring itself is segmented with multiple slots that can independently hold different filaments, allowing organized tracking and manipulation of multiple suture filaments without confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring acts as an intermediary component between the shaft and the filaments. It provides a dedicated interface with slots that receive and organize filament ends, serving as a mediator that prevents tangling and facilitates tension application by centralizing filament management in one location.
2Reliability
If the insertion tool is rotated to implant the surgical implant in bone, then the implant can be securely positioned, but the filaments wrap around the shaft and become tangled
Solution Approach 1:
The filament management function is extracted from the shaft and placed into a separate ring component. The ring is configured with slots that receive filaments, separating the filament path from the shaft rotation path. This extraction prevents filaments from wrapping around the shaft during rotation while maintaining reliable implant positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring is pre-configured with slots positioned to receive filaments before rotation occurs. By establishing this preliminary arrangement, the filaments are guided into the slots in advance, preventing them from wrapping around the shaft during the subsequent rotation operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple suture filaments are used during a repair procedure, then comprehensive tissue repair can be achieved, but it becomes challenging to keep track of the various ends of the filaments
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is divided into multiple discrete slots, each capable of holding a separate filament end. This segmentation provides distinct physical compartments for each filament, making it easy to track and identify individual filament ends among multiple filaments during the repair procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring serves as an intermediary organizing structure that receives and displays multiple filament ends in separate slots. It acts as a visual and physical mediator that maintains information about each filament's identity and position, preventing confusion among multiple filaments.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for managing suture filament during a tissue repair procedure. One exemplary embodiment of an anchor insertion tool includes a handle, an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle, and a ring disposed around the elongate shaft. The ring can be configured to slide along a length of the shaft, and can be configured to engage a filament extending from an anchor removably coupled to the shaft's distal end during a suture anchor insertion procedure. In some embodiments, the ring can include one or more slots for receiving a filament and maintaining a tension applied to the filament. The ring can also include features that prevent it from rotating with respect to the shaft, such as a boss formed on a ring's central opening that engages a slot formed in the shaft. Other devices, systems, and methods for suture anchor insertion are also provided.