Suture-Implant Anchor Sheath Layout to Prevent Meniscal Tear-Through
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for repairing meniscal tears often result in 'tear-through', where the implant tears through soft tissue, and there is a need for a more effective method to anchor sutures securely to prevent this.
Innovation Solution
A suture-implant construct with spaced-apart anchor portions and a sheath that includes a strand of suture and sheaths, deployed using a surgical device with a cannula and pusher, where the pusher moves anchor portions sequentially to secure the suture-implant construct to the tissue, and a sheath with increased width dimension to disperse force and prevent tear-through.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a suture implant construct is used to repair meniscal tears, then the repair stability is improved, but the risk of tear-through increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is divided into multiple spaced-apart anchor portions (first anchor portion, second anchor portion, etc.) along its length. Each anchor portion can be independently deployed through the meniscus tissue at different locations, distributing the mechanical load across multiple attachment points rather than concentrating it at a single site, thereby preventing tear-through while maintaining repair stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point anchor approach to a multi-point spatial distribution approach. By placing anchor portions at multiple spaced-apart locations along the sheath and deploying them at different positions within the meniscus, the system adds spatial dimensionality to the anchoring mechanism, effectively distributing forces across a larger volume of tissue and preventing localized tear-through.
2Reliability
If anchor portions are deployed sequentially through the meniscus, then the security of suture anchoring is improved, but the surgical procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple anchor portions are integrated into a single sheath structure that can be deployed sequentially using one pusher device. The sheath acts as a unified carrier that holds multiple anchor portions in predetermined positions, allowing them to be deployed one at a time through the meniscus using a single surgical instrument, thereby achieving secure anchoring without requiring multiple separate surgical procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor portions are pre-positioned within the sheath at predetermined spaced-apart locations before deployment. The sheath is loaded into the pusher device with the anchor portions already arranged in the correct sequence and positions, eliminating the need for real-time assembly or positioning during the surgical procedure. This preliminary arrangement simplifies the surgical process while maintaining anchoring security.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sheath has increased width dimension to disperse force, then the tear-through prevention is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the overall sheath width to disperse force, the patent segments the force-dispersing function into multiple discrete anchor portions spaced apart along the sheath. Each anchor portion has a localized width that can be optimized, while the spacing between portions allows the sheath to maintain a narrower overall profile. This segmentation distributes the load across multiple points without requiring a uniformly wider sheath structure.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to suture-implant constructs, surgical devices configured to deliver suture-implant constructs, and methods of repairing damaged tissue.