Suture Passing Device Jaw Assembly for Constrained Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current suture passing devices face challenges in arthroscopic procedures, particularly when suturing damaged labrum tissue, due to limited visualization and the difficulty in accurately passing and retrieving suture through small tissue targets with minimal needle profile and access constraints.
Innovation Solution
A suture passing device with a handle and shaft featuring a sharp distal tip and a jaw assembly with a push-pull suture capturing mechanism, comprising teeth for secure capture and retrieval of suture, allowing for both pushing and pulling of the suture through tissue with a minimized jaw movement within the shaft, and a bent shaft portion for enhanced access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a small needle profile is used to penetrate tissue, then access to constrained anatomical spaces is improved, but the ability to house a suture passing mechanism and provide adequate suture loop is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw assembly with suture capturing mechanism is nested within the shaft, allowing the mechanism to be housed within a minimized needle profile while maintaining full functionality for suture passing and retrieval in constrained anatomical spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw members are designed to dynamically open and close during the suture passing process, transitioning from a closed state during tissue penetration to an open state for suture capture and retrieval, enabling adequate suture loop provision within a small needle profile
2Length of moving object
If a minimized jaw movement within the shaft is implemented, then the needle profile is reduced, but the ease of suture capture and retrieval is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw members diverge from the shaft axis when exiting the shaft, utilizing the radial dimension to create an open configuration for suture capture, while maintaining minimal axial movement within the shaft during penetration, thus reducing needle profile while preserving ease of suture retrieval
3Reliability
If a push-pull suture capturing mechanism with teeth is used, then suture capture reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw assembly is segmented into multiple jaw members with teeth, allowing the suture capture function to be distributed across several simple toothed surfaces rather than requiring a single complex mechanism, thereby improving reliability while maintaining relatively simple device structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A suture passing device includes a jaw assembly that is moved to an open configuration after exiting a hollow needle distal tip and moved to a closed configuration when retracted into the needle tip. The jaw assembly may include a pair of jaw members biased to a default diverging configuration. A suture capturing mechanism formed on the jaw members securely captures suture to both push and pull the captured when the jaw assembly is retracted into the hollow distal tip. The device may also include a second suture capturing mechanism that loosely captures suture and enables the captured suture to slide.