Surgical Suture Device Stylet Actuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical devices face challenges in accessing and manipulating sutures in difficult-to-reach tissue locations during procedures like hernia repair, leading to increased complexity and user fatigue due to restrictions on tool size and shape.

Innovation Solution

A manually operated surgical instrument featuring a handle assembly with a longitudinal slot and a hollow shaft, where a stylet is longitudinally slideable and has a grasping member for suture engagement, allowing for precise suture placement and manipulation without rotational movement, reducing user effort and minimizing tissue trauma.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a conventional surgical device is used to access difficult-to-reach tissue locations, then the tool must be restricted in size and shape, but this leads to increased device complexity and procedure duration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess capability to difficult-to-reach areasVSAvoiddevice complexity and procedure duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a handle assembly with control mechanisms, a shaft for transmission, and a stylet with grasping member for suture manipulation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stylet is nested within the shaft, which itself is contained within the handle assembly. The grasping member on the stylet can extend from and retract into the shaft, creating a compact nested structure that reduces overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability for accessing difficult tissue locations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Manufacturing precision

If the stylet is made longitudinally slideable for precise suture placement, then suture manipulation precision is improved, but the device may become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuture placement precisionVSAvoiddevice structural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The grasping member is extracted as a separate functional element on the stylet that can be independently controlled through longitudinal sliding. This extraction allows precise suture manipulation while keeping the overall device structure simple through straightforward linear movement rather than complex mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The stylet is designed to be dynamically movable within the shaft through longitudinal sliding, allowing the grasping member to extend and retract as needed. This dynamic capability provides precise suture placement control without requiring complex actuation mechanisms, maintaining device simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If rotational movement of the stylet is prevented, then suture manipulation control is improved, but the ease of operation may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuture manipulation controlVSAvoiddevice operability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device is designed with predetermined movement constraints that prevent rotational movement of the stylet, establishing control parameters in advance. This preliminary design decision simplifies the operational complexity by eliminating the need for the user to manage rotational degrees of freedom, making the device easier to operate while maintaining precise suture manipulation control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2769684B1Surgical suture device
Publication Date: 2017.11.08 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP2769684B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2769684B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2769684B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A medical instrument (2), such as a surgical device for manipulating and placing a tissue suture and methods of using the same is disclosed. The device comprises a handle (4), a hollow shaft (12) removably coupled to the handle assembly and a stylet (14) extending within the hollow shaft and longitudinally slideable therein. Preferably, the stylet is not rotationally moveable relative to the shaft. The stylet may be moved between a first position wherein a grasping member formed on the stylet is retracted into a distal end portion of the shaft and a second position wherein the grasping member extends distally beyond the distal end portion of the shaft. Distal movement of an actuation member (32) on the handle correspondingly moves the stylet to the extended position and movement of the actuation member to a proximal position on the handle correspondingly moves the stylet to the retracted position. Lateral movement of the actuation member on the handle does not impart rotational movement of the stylet relative to the shaft dueto aactuatable unit (40) form of a hollow cylindrical member (42) and a hollow rod (46 disposed inside th cylindrical member, te stylet ecored on rod and thetrigger secured on the cylindrical member, the hollow cylindrical member rtatabl with the trigger about the hollow rod.