Swellable Ridge Interlock for Hermetic Dural Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dural reconstruction methods face challenges in achieving a tight and hermetic closure, particularly in complex dural defects, leading to cerebrospinal fluid leakage and potential complications such as meningitis, due to insufficient adhesion of dural substitutes in wet environments.
Innovation Solution
A medical device featuring interlockable substrates with elongated ridges that are swellable in wet environments, providing enhanced adhesion and hermeticity through a bioresorbable composite material, allowing for faster and stronger bonding between dural substitutes, even in challenging anatomical configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dural substitutes are used to close complex dural defects, then the closure is achieved, but the substitutes dislocate due to insufficient adhesion in wet environments
Solution Approach 1:
The dural substitute is divided into multiple interlocking elements with complementary textured surfaces featuring micropatterns and macrostructures. These segmented elements interlock like puzzle pieces to mechanically secure the closure, preventing dislocation while maintaining adhesion in wet surgical environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite material structures combining hydrogel polymers with textured surface patterns. The hydrogel provides adhesive properties in wet conditions, while the integrated textured surfaces provide mechanical interlocking, creating a composite system that simultaneously achieves both adhesion and dislocation resistance.
2Strength
If adhesive glue is applied to improve dural substitute adhesion, then bonding strength increases, but the quantity of adhesive required and toxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces chemical adhesive systems with a mechanical interlocking system. The complementary textured surfaces with micropatterns and macrostructures create physical interlocking that provides bonding strength without requiring additional adhesive glue, thereby eliminating the toxicity associated with adhesive chemicals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface parameter of the dural substitutes by adding textured patterns at multiple scales. This parameter modification enables mechanical interlocking that achieves bonding strength equivalent to or exceeding chemical adhesives, while avoiding the harmful effects of adhesive chemicals.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If micro-protrusions are used to reduce adhesive glue quantity, then toxicity decreases, but adhesion strength does not improve substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the interlocking mechanism from two-dimensional micropatterns to three-dimensional macrostructures. By adding vertical dimension with interlocking elements that protrude and engage at multiple levels, the system achieves substantial adhesion strength improvement while maintaining reduced adhesive requirements and low toxicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The textured surfaces feature nested interlocking structures where micropatterns are embedded within larger macrostructural elements. This nested arrangement allows the smaller features to engage first, followed by larger features, creating a multi-stage interlocking system that achieves strong adhesion with minimal adhesive material.
4Strength
If hydrogel with tiny protrusions is used for interlocking, then strong adhesion is achieved, but the time required for adhesion increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking textured surfaces are pre-formed during manufacturing, eliminating the need for time-consuming formation or activation steps. When the dural substitutes are brought together during surgery, the pre-configured interlocking elements immediately engage, providing rapid adhesion without requiring prolonged contact time or activation periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking system is segmented into complementary elements that engage in a progressive manner. The micropatterns engage first to provide initial bonding, followed by macrostructural elements that lock in the position, creating a multi-stage engagement that achieves strong adhesion rapidly without requiring prolonged time.
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
The device achieves higher adhesion strength and faster interlocking, reducing cerebrospinal fluid leakage and post-operative complications, making it more practical and reliable for surgical practices compared to prior art solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The ridges have swellable properties in presence of a wet environment. The swellable properties ensures a better adhesion and/or hermeticity and avoid fluid leakage.
Implementation Method 2
said first and second plurality of structures being arranged to interlock when said first surface is pressed against said second surface
Implementation Method 3
The ridges have at least two different cross-sections defined in planes parallel to said first or respectively said second surface
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a medical device for use in surgery including at least one structured substrate including a plurality of structures, at least a portion of the plurality of structures being a plurality of ridges having each a length that is at least 5 times greater than their width. The ridges have at least two different cross-sections and have swellable properties, for example in the presence of water. The medical device includes at least a second substrate, including a second plurality of structures, the first and second plurality of structures being arranged to interlock when the first substrate is pressed against the second substrate in presence of water.