Suture Passing Hook With Flexible Cable for Curved Needle Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing endoscopic and arthroscopic suture passing devices face challenges in navigating complex needle bends due to the balance between actuating the retrieving hook and maintaining structural integrity, particularly when angular offsets are required, leading to issues like buckling and difficulty in positioning the hook close to the target tissue.

Innovation Solution

A surgical instrument with a flexible construct, such as a flexible cable or wire, is used to deploy and retract a capturing member along a complex curve, allowing for precise manipulation and passage of suture through tissue, using a handle-operated mechanism to apply tension and adjust the needle bend as needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid hook is used to retrieve suture, then the hook can effectively capture and retrieve suture, but the hook cannot navigate complex needle bends and may buckle when applying higher loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture retrieval capabilityVSAvoidability to navigate complex needle bends

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The instrument is divided into separate functional segments: a rigid distal tip for suture engagement and a flexible proximal shaft for navigation. This allows the rigid hook to effectively retrieve suture while the flexible shaft adapts to complex needle bends without buckling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the instrument have different mechanical properties. The distal tip is made rigid to provide reliable suture capture, while the proximal shaft is made flexible to navigate complex curves. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between retrieval reliability and navigational adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If the needle bend is made more complex to target tissue locations, then positioning accuracy improves, but hook actuation becomes more difficult and may cause buckling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue targeting accuracyVSAvoidhook actuation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The instrument separates the navigation function (flexible proximal shaft that can be positioned accurately) from the actuation function (rigid distal tip that is easy to operate). This allows complex needle bends for accurate tissue targeting while maintaining easy hook actuation through the flexible coupling mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A flexible coupling member acts as an intermediary between the proximal shaft and distal tip, transmitting actuation forces while accommodating complex bends. This mediator allows the needle to be positioned at complex angles for accurate targeting while the hook remains easy to actuate through the flexible connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the hook is positioned close to the suture or target location, then retrieval effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases due to angular offsets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture capture effectivenessVSAvoidangular offset configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The distal tip is configured with specific local geometry to provide effective suture capture at close proximity to the target. This localized design achieves reliable retrieval without requiring complex angular offsets throughout the entire device, as only the tip needs to be optimally positioned.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables efficient and precise passage of suture through complex tissue environments, overcoming the limitations of rigid hooks by allowing the instrument to adapt to tight bends and maintain structural integrity during deployment and retraction.

Implementation Method 1

A handle-operated mechanism is used to apply tension and adjust the needle bend as needed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTension: Tension

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20260096816A1Surgical instrument for manipulating and passing suture

Publication Date: 2026.04.09 SMITH & NEPHEW INC

AI summary

A suture passing instrument for manipulating and passing suture through a tissue is disclosed. The instrument includes a handle, an elongate shaft extending from the handle, a hook movably disposed within the elongate shaft. The elongate shaft includes a distal portion having an open end. The hook is movable from a retracted configuration in which at least a portion the hook is situated within the elongate shaft, and a deployed configuration in which the hook extends distally from the open end. The hook is operatively coupled to an actuator of the handle via a coupling member and the hook is moved from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration be applying tension to the coupling member.