Suture Passer With Dynamic Jaw Angling For Arthroscopic Locking Loops
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current suturing instruments face challenges in accessing and repairing difficult-to-reach tissues, such as the meniscus, ACL, and rotator cuff, due to limited navigation, risk of injury to adjacent structures, and unreliable suture placement, especially in tight body regions like joints, leading to complex and time-consuming surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of suture passers with dual jaw movement and a tissue penetrator that travels in a sigmoidal pathway, allowing for independent angular and lateral motion, enabling secure positioning and passage of sutures through tissue to form locking loop patterns, which can be arthroscopically positioned to repair torn meniscal roots, radial tears, and other challenging tissue injuries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional suturing instruments are used to access difficult-to-reach tissues, then surgical repair can be performed, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and complex due to limited navigation capability and inability to properly position in tight body regions
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer incorporates a first jaw member that can be dynamically angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the device, allowing the operator to adjust the jaw orientation to match the specific geometry of difficult-to-reach tissue regions. This dynamic positioning capability enables proper engagement with tissues in tight body regions without requiring complex procedural maneuvers, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If opposing jaws with scissor-like opening mechanism are used, then tissue can be grasped, but the device cannot be adequately positioned in hard to navigate body regions such as joints
Solution Approach 1:
The first jaw member is designed with dynamic angling capability relative to the device's longitudinal axis, allowing it to adapt to various tissue orientations within joints and other hard-to-navigate body regions. This dynamic configuration enables the device to maintain its scissor-like grasping function while simultaneously adapting to the specific geometric constraints of different surgical sites, thereby resolving the contradiction between grasping capability and positioning adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If large opening is made to expose area requiring surgical repair, then tissue can be accessed, but recovery time increases and patient is exposed to greater risk of infection
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer is designed as a segmented device with multiple independently controllable components: a first jaw member for tissue engagement, a second jaw member for counter-support, and a tissue penetrator for suture passage. This segmentation allows the device to access difficult-to-reach tissues through minimal incisions while maintaining full surgical functionality, thereby reducing the size of surgical openings needed and consequently lowering infection risk and recovery time while preserving tissue accessibility.
4Reliability
If multiple parts and subassemblies are used to make instruments function properly, then reliable suture passing can be achieved, but the instruments become complicated and expensive to use
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the functions of tissue grasping, positioning, and suture passage into an integrated suture passer assembly. The first jaw member with angling capability, the second jaw member, and the tissue penetrator work as a coordinated unit, eliminating the need for multiple separate instruments. This merging maintains reliable suture passing functionality while reducing overall device complexity and ease of use by consolidating multiple parts into a single integrated device.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for suturing tissue by forming a locking loop of suture material. In particular, method of using a suture passer to arthroscopically create a locking loop of suture in difficult to access tissues. As used herein a locking loop of suture is a loop of suture that is passed through a tissue from a first side to a second side of the tissue; one or more of the legs of the loop extending from the first side are passed through the tissue to the second side of the tissue and are then passed through the loop, and the loop is cinched to tighten closed over the one or more legs. The resulting locking loops stitches are extremely strong and distribute the stresses across the tissue in a desirable manner.