Suture Passer Shuttle Retention for Repeated Tissue Stitching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suturing apparatuses require removal from the surgical site for loading and unloading suture, lack accurate suture placement, and pose safety risks due to exposed needle or shuttle position during operation.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer with a first and second jaw, trigger mechanisms, and a selector for controlling pushers, allowing suture to be passed through tissue without removing the apparatus, with a shuttle retained within the apparatus for improved accuracy and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the apparatus is removed from the surgical site for loading and unloading suture, then the suture can be loaded and unloaded, but the surgical procedure time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is pre-loaded onto the shuttle before the apparatus is inserted into the surgical site. This preliminary action allows the apparatus to perform multiple suture passages without needing to be removed for loading, thereby maintaining surgical efficiency while enabling suture loading capability
Solution Approach 2:
The shuttle containing the suture is nested within the apparatus housing during the entire surgical procedure. This nesting allows the suture-loaded shuttle to be contained within the apparatus, eliminating the need for removal while maintaining loading capability
2Ease of operation
If the needle or shuttle is exposed during operation, then the suture passing function is achieved, but safety risks increase due to potential accidental injury
Solution Approach 1:
The needle and shuttle are contained within the protective housing of the apparatus during insertion and positioning. Only the necessary portions are exposed at the distal end when needed for suture passing, minimizing exposure time and reducing safety risks while maintaining operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is divided into protected proximal portions (housing, mechanisms) and functional distal portions (jaw, needle, shuttle). This segmentation allows the dangerous components to be isolated within the housing while only exposing the minimal necessary elements for suture passing, reducing overall safety risks
3Measurement precision
If the suture placement accuracy is improved by containing the shuttle mechanism, then the precision of suture placement increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shuttle is nested within the jaw structure with integrated retention features. The jaw housing serves as both the protective enclosure and the retention mechanism, eliminating the need for separate complex retention devices while maintaining accurate suture placement through controlled shuttle movement
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mechanism is merged with the jaw structure itself. The jaw's moving and stationary components work together to retain and release the shuttle, combining multiple functions (protection, retention, release, positioning) into a single integrated structure rather than separate components
Data Source
AI summary
A device is disclosed that can pierce and hold tissue and then pass suture through tissue. The device can have a shuttle that can removably attach to a suture and jaws that can be opened and closed. A method for using the device to repeatedly pass the suture through the tissue with or without removing the suture or device from the target site is disclosed.