Suture Thread With Stopper And Spikes For Knotless Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suture threads require multiple knots to secure the thread to biological tissue, leading to unreliable sutures that can come undone, increasing surgical time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A suture thread equipped with a stopper at one end and holding spikes along its length, which prevents unthreading and eliminates the need for multiple knots, allowing for improved reliability and versatility in material and rigidity choices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple knots are used to secure the suture thread to tissue, then the thread can be anchored, but the surgical time increases and the reliability decreases as knots may come undone
Solution Approach 1:
The suture thread is divided into two functional parts: a flexible main body for suturing and a rigid stopper at the end. The stopper is segmented from the main body in function (though connected structurally), serving as a dedicated anchoring element that replaces the need for multiple knots, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid stopper acts as an intermediary element between the suture thread and the tissue. Instead of the thread directly anchoring through knots (which may fail), the stopper serves as a mediator that provides reliable anchoring by engaging with the tissue or surgical instruments, eliminating the need for repetitive knotting.
2Reliability
If multiple knots are made to secure the thread, then anchoring is achieved, but the complexity of the suturing operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the anchoring function from the main suture thread body and concentrates it in the rigid stopper. By taking out the anchoring requirement from the repetitive knotting process and embedding it in the stopper structure, the complexity of the suturing operation is reduced while maintaining secure anchoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid stopper is pre-formed and attached to the end of the suture thread during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation of the anchoring mechanism eliminates the need for complex knot-tying operations during surgery, as the stopper is already configured to provide reliable anchoring when engaged with tissue or instruments.
3Ease of operation
If the thread is made flexible for suturing, then it can be maneuvered through tissue, but it lacks rigidity for reliable anchoring
Solution Approach 1:
The suture thread exhibits local quality differentiation: the main body is flexible to enable easy maneuvering through tissue, while the end portion (stopper) is rigid to provide reliable anchoring. This spatial variation in mechanical properties allows the single thread to satisfy both contradictory requirements of flexibility for insertion and rigidity for securement.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture thread comprises composite structure with different material properties: a flexible polymer main body for maneuverability and a rigid stopper (which may be made of different material or structured differently) for anchoring. This composite approach allows optimization of each region for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and rigidity.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture thread having: a thread-shaped main body with spikes and a stopper cylinder having a diameter enlarged with respect to the main body is described.