Suture Loading Package with Segmented Securement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing suture packages fail to efficiently facilitate the repeated loading of needle-suture combinations onto surgical apparatuses, leading to tangling and difficulty in deployment during surgical procedures.

Innovation Solution

A suture loading package with an ergonomically shaped body and securement structures such as protrusions, posts, or guide contours that minimize tangling and facilitate easy release of sutures, coupled with a suture needle loading mechanism for efficient transfer to surgical devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If existing suture packages are used to store multiple sutures, then suture storage capacity is provided, but suture tangling and difficulty in deployment occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture storage capacityVSAvoidsuture deployment ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The suture package divides multiple sutures into separate, organized compartments or slots within the package structure. Each suture is individually positioned and secured, preventing them from tangling with one another while maintaining storage capacity for multiple sutures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The package incorporates guide structures or intermediary elements that direct suture movement from storage to deployment. These guide contours or channels act as intermediaries that control suture path, preventing tangling during the transition from stored to deployed state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If repeated loading of needle-suture combinations is required, then surgical procedure efficiency should improve, but time consumption increases due to manual reloading

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical procedure efficiencyVSAvoidtime for repeated loading

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The package pre-organizes and pre-positions multiple needle-suture combinations in a ready-to-load configuration. Sutures are pre-loaded into the package structure in advance, so that during surgery, the surgeon can quickly transfer them to the surgical apparatus without time-consuming manual preparation or reloading operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If suture securement structures are added to prevent tangling, then suture organization improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuture organizationVSAvoidpackage structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The package applies securement structures only at specific locations where sutures are most prone to tangling, rather than uniformly throughout the entire package. This localized approach provides effective suture organization while minimizing the overall complexity of the package structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2363079B1Suture loading package

Publication Date: 2020.07.15 COVIDIEN LP

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AI summary

A suture loading package including a body portion including a securement structure for one or more lengths of suture such that the one or more lengths of suture can be stored prior to use. The suture loading package is configured and adapted to facilitate transferring each of the lengths of suture to a suture loading mechanism.