Suture Passer Clamping Tube for Far-Side Tissue Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suture passers are inadequate for closed surgical procedures due to size limitations, the need to place suture adjacent to tissue edges, difficulty in picking up suture on the far side, complexity of operation, and high manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer with a hollow tube and a clamping rod that includes a bifurcated distal end with an outwardly biased arm, allowing for easy suture clamping and passage through tissue, and a suture spear for piercing the suture, facilitating efficient suture manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional suture passers are used in closed surgical procedures, then suture passing can be achieved, but the instrument size becomes too large and maneuverability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer is divided into separate functional components: a hollow tube for tissue penetration, a clamping rod for suture manipulation, and a window for suture passage. These segmented components can be independently controlled and positioned, allowing the instrument to navigate tight surgical spaces while maintaining full suture passing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping rod is nested within the hollow tube, with the clamping rod's distal end positioned inside the tube's lumen. This nested configuration allows both components to be contained within a compact overall structure, reducing the instrument's external dimensions while preserving the functionality of each component
2Ease of operation
If conventional suture passers are used, then suture can be passed through tissue, but the operation becomes complex and requires multiple instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument merges multiple functions into a single device: the hollow tube provides tissue penetration and suture passage pathways, the clamping rod performs suture grasping and manipulation, and the window enables suture transfer. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate instruments for each step of the suture passing procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow tube serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective sheath, provides a passage for the clamping rod, creates a window for suture access, and facilitates both antegrade and retrograde suture passing. This multi-functionality reduces the overall complexity of the surgical procedure
3Ease of operation
If conventional suture passers are used, then suture passing is possible, but difficulty arises in retrieving suture on the far side of tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow tube can be advanced through tissue with the window positioned to receive suture from either the near side or far side of the tissue. This bidirectional capability allows the surgeon to invert the approach: instead of always passing suture from near to far, the tube can be positioned to retrieve suture from the far side and bring it back, simplifying complex retrieval scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
A method for retaining a suture includes extending a distal end of a suture manipulator of a suture passer from a distal portion of a hollow tube of the suture passer, the distal portion of the suture manipulator forming a single arm so that only the single arm extends out of the distal end of the hollow tube when the suture manipulator is fully extended, locating a portion of a suture adjacent to a catching portion of the suture manipulator, and retracting the distal end of the suture manipulator into the hollow tube and pulling the portion of the suture into the hollow tube so that a loop of the suture is located in a lumen of the hollow tube and the portion of the suture is compressed by an inner surface of the hollow tube and a side surface of the catching portion.