Suture Passer Jaw and Needle Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures for repairing internal tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, face challenges in efficiently placing sutures due to the complexity of existing suture passer devices, which often require precise manipulation and alignment of jaw and needle mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer with a jaw assembly and needle mechanism that includes a pivoting arrangement, biasing members, and locking arrangements to facilitate independent operation of jaw and carrier actuators, allowing for precise grip and suture placement, featuring a handle mechanism with trigger assembly for autonomous operation of the jaw and carrier levers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a suture passer uses a traditional jaw and needle mechanism requiring precise manipulation and alignment, then the suture placement can be achieved, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer is divided into functionally independent segments: the jaw assembly with its own actuator for gripping tissue, and the needle mechanism with its own actuator for suture placement. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently without requiring precise coordination between them, simplifying the overall operation while maintaining surgical functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs dynamic actuators that can be independently controlled to adjust the jaw opening/closing and needle deployment timing. This dynamic independence allows the surgeon to perform gripping and suture placement as separate, simplified actions rather than requiring synchronized manipulation of coupled mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the jaw assembly and needle mechanism are coupled requiring simultaneous manipulation, then structural integration is achieved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The device architecture separates the jaw assembly and needle mechanism into distinct functional units with independent actuators. This segmentation maintains structural integrity while eliminating the need for coupled manipulation, allowing each component to be controlled separately for simplified operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The independent actuators serve multiple functions: the first actuator controls jaw opening/closing for tissue gripping, while the second actuator controls needle deployment for suture placement. This multi-functionality with independent control simplifies the operational sequence while maintaining comprehensive surgical capability.
3Productivity
If independent control of jaw and carrier actuators is implemented, then operational simplification is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer implements independent control by segmenting the actuation system into separate jaw and carrier actuators. This segmentation enables parallel or sequential operation of gripping and suture placement functions, improving surgical productivity while the modular architecture keeps the complexity manageable through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses dynamically controllable actuators that can be independently activated to perform jaw closure and needle deployment at different times. This dynamic independence allows the surgeon to optimize the operational sequence for efficiency, achieving faster suture placement without requiring complex mechanical coupling mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture passer is provided, defining a longitudinal axis and comprising a jaw assembly configured to be operated to selectively grip an internal tissue of a patient, and a needle mechanism configured to be operated to place a suture on the tissue. The assembly comprises a stationary first jaw portion and a second jaw portion pivotable about a jaw axis with respect to the first jaw portion between a closed position and an open position, the jaw assembly being configured to hold a thread for the suture. The needle mechanism comprises a needle being configured for piercing the tissue and pulling the thread from the jaw assembly, and a carrying member at a first end thereof being pivotable, independently of the second jaw portion, with respect to the first jaw portion, the needle being hingedly articulated to a second end of the carrying member.