Suture Spool for Minimizing Tangling in Tissue Suturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suturing devices face challenges in maintaining suture organization and tension, particularly when extending outside the device, leading to tangling and difficulty in tracking multiple sutures during biological tissue closure procedures.
Innovation Solution
A suturing device with an elongate body, extendible arms, and a suture spool system that allows the suture to unwind through an aperture, featuring a cylindrical portion with a conical section to guide the suture and prevent tangling, mounted externally to the handle and elongate body, enabling efficient suture management and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sutures are extended outside the suturing device for use, then the sutures can be manipulated and tied, but the sutures become difficult to organize and track, leading to tangling
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is divided into distinct segments: a first portion contained within the elongate body, a second portion on the spool, and a third portion extending outside. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function while maintaining overall organization and preventing tangling between different suture sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool acts as an intermediary component between the internal suture storage and the external manipulation area. It provides a controlled interface where the suture transitions from a contained state to an accessible state, maintaining organization while enabling ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sutures are used simultaneously, then complex tissue closure can be achieved, but tracking and managing each suture becomes very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Each suture is clearly segmented into distinct portions with specific locations (internal, spool-mounted, external), making it easier to track and identify individual sutures among multiple sutures used simultaneously for complex tissue closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool introduces a spatial dimension for suture organization by mounting sutures radially around the spool body. This radial arrangement provides a clear spatial relationship between multiple sutures, making them easier to distinguish and track during complex procedures.
3Device complexity
If the suture is contained entirely within the device, then organization is maintained, but the suture cannot be deployed or tied externally
Solution Approach 1:
The suture system is segmented into contained and external portions, allowing the organization benefits of containment to be maintained while enabling the deployment and manipulation capabilities of external extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool is pre-configured with the suture wound around it in a controlled manner before the procedure begins. This preliminary organization on the spool ensures that when the suture is deployed externally, it remains organized and manageable rather than becoming tangled.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of devices, systems and methods for suturing biological tissue incorporating one or more suture spools. The suture spools can be located external to a handle or elongate body of a suturing device, and can contain the sutures within an inner circumference of the suture spools. The suture spools can be configured to reduce entanglement of sutures during use in an operation.