Suture Sever Tube for Intracardiac Occluder Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for releasing sutures from intracardiac septal occluders implanted via a percutaneous route are disruptive and inefficient, as they require unthreading the entire suture length, which can compromise the implant's integrity and position.
Innovation Solution
A suture cutting apparatus with a distal cutting end and a proximal control end, featuring a first tube with a lumen and a slideably movable second tube containing a cutting edge, along with a lever arm and pivot mechanism, allows for remote severing of the suture adjacent to the implant, enabling efficient unthreading of a shorter section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the suture is released by unthreading the entire suture length through the implant, then the suture can be removed from the implant, but the implant's integrity and position are compromised and disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is divided into two segments by cutting it at a specific location adjacent to the implant. Only the distal segment (shorter section) needs to be unthreaded from the implant rather than the entire suture length, thereby maintaining implant integrity while enabling suture removal
Solution Approach 2:
A cutting apparatus is introduced as an intermediary tool to sever the suture at a controlled location. This apparatus includes a cutting element that can be positioned adjacent to the implant to cut the suture, enabling precise segmentation without directly manipulating the entire suture length
2Ease of operation
If the entire suture length is unthreaded through the implant, then the suture can be released, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
By cutting the suture into two segments, only the shorter distal segment requires unthreading through the implant. This segmentation dramatically reduces the length of suture that must be manipulated and removed, thereby reducing the time required for suture release
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is cut at a predetermined location adjacent to the implant before the unthreading process begins. This preliminary cutting action prepares the suture in advance, so that only the necessary short segment needs to be removed, rather than attempting to unthread the entire length
3Adaptability or versatility
If a percutaneous delivery system is used to implant the occluder, then the implant can be placed remotely, but the suture becomes very long (four feet or more)
Solution Approach 1:
The unnecessary portion of the suture (the proximal segment beyond the cut location) is extracted or removed from the system after the occluder is implanted. Only the essential distal segment remains attached to the implant, eliminating the need to manage the entire four-foot suture length
Solution Approach 2:
The long suture is segmented into two distinct portions by cutting: a functional distal segment that remains attached to the implant for securing it in place, and a proximal segment that can be removed. This segmentation allows remote implantation capability while eliminating the burden of the excessive suture length
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for cutting a suture. In one embodiment the suture cutting apparatus includes a distal cutting end and a proximal control end. The apparatus also includes a first tube defining a lumen, and a second tube located and movable within the lumen of the first tube. The second tube defines a lumen and includes a lever arm pivotably attached at the distal cutting end of the apparatus. The lever arm has a cutting edge that is held away from the longitudinal axis of the second tube when the lever arm is located within the first tube, and is biased toward the longitudinal axis of second tube when the lever arm is outside of the first tube.