Suture Passer Movable Jaw Actuation for Minimal Tissue Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture passing surgical instruments often cause significant tissue damage and require multiple portal entry points or auxiliary devices, especially in endoscopic procedures where access is limited.
Innovation Solution
A suture passer with a tubular member and movable jaw that can transition between open and closed positions, allowing for minimal tissue damage by using an actuator to push the suture through the tissue with a design that includes a tubular member with a lumen and an eyelet for suture passage, minimizing the distal shaft diameter for efficient suture passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional suture passing instruments are used, then sutures can be passed through tissues, but significant tissue damage occurs and multiple portal entry points are required
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into distinct functional segments: a tubular shaft for insertion, a movable jaw mechanism for grasping, and an actuator system for operation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall tissue disruption while maintaining surgical capability through a single portal
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator is received within the lumen of the tubular shaft, and the movable jaw is positioned within the tubular member. This nested configuration allows the instrument to pass through a single portal with minimal diameter, reducing tissue damage while maintaining all necessary functional components integrated within the confined space
2Ease of operation
If auxiliary devices are used to grasp sutures in endoscopic procedures, then sutures can be passed through desired tissue, but tissue damage increases and procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture grasping function is merged into the distal end of the tubular member through the movable jaw mechanism. This integration eliminates the need for separate auxiliary grasping devices, reducing the number of tissue interactions and minimizing cumulative tissue damage while maintaining full suture passage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The movable jaw transitions between open and closed positions dynamically during the procedure. The jaw opens to allow suture passage through the tubular member and closes to grasp and advance the suture. This dynamic operation allows the instrument to perform multiple functions sequentially through a single portal, reducing tissue trauma compared to multiple static instruments
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the distal shaft diameter is reduced for efficient suture passage, then tissue damage is minimized, but instrument functionality may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument utilizes the longitudinal dimension of the tubular shaft to accommodate functional components. The actuator moves along the length of the shaft within its lumen, and the movable jaw is positioned at the distal end. This dimensional arrangement allows full functionality to be achieved within a minimized cross-sectional diameter, reducing tissue damage while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular member functions as a flexible yet structurally sound shaft that can be inserted through minimal portals. The thin-walled tubular structure provides sufficient mechanical strength to transmit actuator forces to the movable jaw while maintaining a small external diameter that minimizes tissue disruption during insertion and operation
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A suture passer (20) including a tubular member (26) having a proximal end and a distal end and a central axis defined there through, in which the tubular member includes at least one lumen (21) formed therein, an eyelet (27) configured to receive a suture, a movable jaw (23) formed on the distal end of the tubular member configured to move between an open position and a closed position, in which the movable jaw includes a plurality of portions, and an actuator (28) configured to be received within the at least one lumen of the tubular member, in which the actuator is configured to move along the central axis of the tubular member between a first position and a second position, in which, in the first position, the movable jaw is in the closed position, and in which, in the second position, the movable jaw is in the open position.