Suture Device Needle Holding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suture devices face challenges in stabilizing the suture needle during tissue suturing, particularly when the gripping members are widely opened, leading to potential needle displacement and difficulty in handling thicker tissues.
Innovation Solution
A suture device with a flexible tubular shaft, pivotable gripping members, and a passing mechanism that includes fitting holes, movable holding members, a swing member, tensile-force transmitting members, and a hold-state maintaining mechanism to securely hold and transfer the suture needle between gripping members, ensuring stable needle positioning and efficient suturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gripping members are widely opened to accommodate thicker tissues, then the ability to handle thicker tissues is improved, but the suture needle becomes unstable and may displace
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary holding member that mediates between the gripping member and the suture needle. This holding member includes a holding portion that engages with the needle shaft and a connection portion that links to the gripping member, providing stable needle retention even when the gripping members are widely opened to accommodate thicker tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the needle holding function from the gripping function by introducing a separate holding member. This segmentation allows the gripping members to open widely for thicker tissues while the holding member maintains needle stability through its own engagement mechanism with the needle shaft.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gripping members are widely opened for suturing thicker tissues, then the adaptability to different tissue types is improved, but the difficulty of operating the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member is designed to automatically engage with the suture needle through its holding portion that fits onto the needle shaft. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual needle securing operations, reducing operational difficulty even when gripping members are widely opened for thicker tissues.
3Device complexity
If a simple passing mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of needle positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member serves as an intermediary component that enhances needle positioning reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity. It provides a dedicated interface between the gripping member and suture needle, ensuring reliable needle positioning through its holding portion that engages with the needle shaft.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture device including: an elongated shaft member; a pair of gripping members; and a passing mechanism that transfers a suture needle between the gripping members, wherein the passing mechanism is provided with fitting holes provided in the individual gripping members and to which the suture needle is fitted, holding members that are inserted into recessed portions in outer circumferential surface of the suture needle by being pulled toward the proximal end sides thereof in directions that intersect axes of the individual fitting holes, a swing member that is provided so as to be swingable about an axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, a pair of tensile-force transmitting members that transmit tensile forces that cause the swing member to be swung, axial-force transmitting members that transmit axial forces associated with swinging of the swing member, and hold-state maintaining mechanism that maintains the holding members in the recessed portions.