Suture Tray Loading Unit for Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suture packages fail to precisely position surgical needles for minimally invasive procedures and protect both the needle and suture material effectively, especially with double-ended needles and barbed sutures, due to issues with compact packaging and engagement of barbs.
Innovation Solution
A suture package assembly featuring a circular suture tray with a loading unit for supporting surgical needles and a cover with an elongate flap that securely engages over the loading unit, providing precise positioning and protection through a series of fold lines and tabs, allowing for easy sterilization and secure storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the surgical needle is held loosely within the packaging to allow flexibility in loading, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision of needle positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The loading unit is pre-assembled with the surgical needle in a fixed, precisely positioned orientation before being attached to the suture tray. This preliminary assembly ensures that when the needle is loaded into the surgical instrument, it is already correctly positioned, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading unit serves as an intermediary component between the suture tray and the surgical instrument. It provides a standardized interface that receives the needle in a precise manner and presents it to the instrument jaws, decoupling the positioning function from the storage function and allowing both precision and ease of operation.
2Volume of moving object
If the suture material is wrapped compactly to conserve space, then the volume of packaging is reduced, but the reliability of barb engagement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suture material is segmented into distinct sections: a compacted portion for space efficiency and a protected portion with barbs maintained in an engaged state. The loading unit and cover divide the suture into these functional segments, allowing the barbs to remain reliable for tissue engagement while the overall package remains compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging is designed as a single-use, sterile barrier that is discarded after use. This disposable nature allows the packaging to be optimized for compactness without concern for reuse, while the suture material itself maintains its barb engagement reliability through protected storage until the moment of use.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover is designed to protect the needle and suture material, then the sterility and protection are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is implemented as a flexible, sterile barrier that can be easily applied over the loading unit and suture tray. This thin-film approach provides effective protection against contamination while maintaining simplicity and ease of application, avoiding the need for complex rigid enclosures.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides sterile protection, maintains the compact configuration of the suture material, secures the loading unit in place, and facilitates single-use disposal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the protective requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A suture package assembly is provided and includes a suture tray having a loading unit mounted thereon for supplying a surgical needle-suture assembly to a surgical instrument. A suture package cover is provided to protect the surgical needle-suture assembly prior to use. The suture package cover includes a disc engagable with the suture tray to protect the suture retained in the suture tray and an elongate flap configured to overlie the loading unit to protect the surgical needle contained therein. The elongate flap is bendable relative to the disk along a primary fold line and includes a nose portion removably engagable with the disk.