Flexible Suture Defect Length Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring tissue defects during surgical repairs are inaccurate and time-consuming, often requiring additional instruments and steps, which can lead to graft mismatch issues and increased operation time.
Innovation Solution
A method using a suture anchor, drill guide, and needle driver to extend and retract a flexible suture, allowing for precise measurement of defect length by tensioning the suture between anchor points, enabling accurate marking of the defect's contour.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a surgeon uses a straight, rigid or semi-rigid measuring tool to measure the defect, then the measurement process is simple, but the measurement precision is reduced because many defects are contoured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible suture instead of rigid measuring tools. The suture can conform to the contoured shape of the defect while maintaining measurement accuracy. The flexibility allows the measuring element to follow the natural curvature of the tissue defect, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If a surgeon uses specialized defect measuring tools for increased accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity and surgery time increase due to additional steps and instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a suture that serves dual purposes: it is both the graft material used in the repair and the measuring tool for determining defect length. This eliminates the need for separate specialized measuring instruments, reducing device complexity and surgical steps while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement function and the graft material are merged into a single element (the suture). By combining these functions, the patent avoids adding extra instruments and steps to the surgical procedure, thereby reducing overall complexity while achieving accurate measurements.
3Device complexity
If a surgeon visually estimates the size of the defect using an instrument already used in the repair, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The suture serves itself as both the measurement tool and the repair material. The same instrument (suture) that will be used for the repair is used to measure the defect, eliminating the need for separate measuring devices while providing accurate measurements through the suture's flexibility and conformability to the defect contour.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for quick and accurate measurement of tissue defects, reducing the risk of graft mismatch and shortening surgical time by utilizing instruments already selected for the repair, thus improving the success of the repair procedure.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible suture can follow the contours of the defect to accurately mark its length
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for measuring tissue defects include the use of a suture anchor, a drill guide, a needle driver, and a ruler. Using the drill guide, the surgeon extends the suture attached to an implanted anchor between the first and second ends of the defect. The surgeon then attaches a needle driver to the suture extending from the proximal end of the drill guide. Finally, the surgeon retracts the suture back through the drill guide and measures the distance between the needle driver and the proximal end of the drill guide to determine a length of a graft needed to repair the defect.