Medical Suture Needle Bending Method for Uniform Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Curved medical suture needles often face high penetration resistance due to the needle point being difficult to penetrate biotissue, especially for skilled doctors, and there is a need for uniform penetration resistance during suturing.
Innovation Solution
A bending method for medical suture needles where a straight needle-shaped material with a thickness decreased from the body portion to the needle point is inserted between a roller and a belt separated by a separating means, allowing the needle point to be positioned close to the extension line of the shaft center of the curved body portion, reducing penetration resistance by minimizing contact with the processing surface of the roller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the needle point is positioned far from the shaft center extension line to provide stability, then the needle holder can securely hold the body portion, but the penetration resistance increases and the needle point becomes difficult to penetrate biotissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different curvature radii to different portions of the needle. The body portion has a first curvature radius that ensures stable holding by the needle holder, while the needle point portion has a second curvature radius that is smaller than the first, allowing the needle point to be positioned closer to the shaft center extension line and reducing penetration resistance. This local differentiation of curvature quality resolves the contradiction between stable holding and easy penetration.
2Ease of operation
If the outer diameter of the winding roll or bending top is increased to define a larger bending shape, then the curvature of the body portion is reduced for easier handling, but the needle point deviates further from the shaft center extension line due to springback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the curvature radius parameter along the length of the needle. By setting the first curvature radius for the body portion and a smaller second curvature radius for the needle point portion, the patent achieves both easy handling (larger curvature radius at body) and precise positioning (smaller curvature radius at needle point compensates for springback). This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of handling and positioning accuracy.
3Ease of manufacture
If the needle is made straight for uniform thickness, then manufacturing is simpler, but penetration resistance is high and suturing performance is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces curvature to the needle by forming the body portion with a first curvature radius and the needle point portion with a second curvature radius. This curvature allows the needle point to be positioned closer to the shaft center extension line, reducing penetration resistance and improving suturing performance. The controlled curvature transformation from straight to curved resolves the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and suturing performance.
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
The method reduces penetration resistance by allowing the needle point to be positioned closer to the extension line of the shaft center, enabling easier penetration and reduced force required for suturing, while maintaining a uniform curvature for the body portion.
Implementation Method 1
Due to springback caused in the material of the medical suture needle, the diameter of the curved inner surface of the medical suture needle is typically larger than the outer diameter of the winding roll or the bending top
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
When a biotissue is sutured using a curved medical suture needle, the penetration resistance becomes uniform. In a bending method, a straight needle-shaped material A which has a thickness decreased from a body portion 1 to a needle point 2 is insertedbetween a roller 11 having a processing surface 11a and a belt 12 wound around the roller 11 via a separating member 21, and then the roller 11 is rotated and the belt 12 is winded, thereby pressing and curving the straight needle-shaped material onto the processing surface 11a. In a suture needle B, a portion of a tip side including the needle point 2 is formed as a non-restricted portion which is not restricted by the processing surface 11a of the roller 11, and a portion except for the non-restricted portion is formed as a curved portion which is bent along the processing surface 11a of the roller 11.