Tendon Harvesting Guide with Three-Sided Blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for harvesting the quadriceps tendon for ligament surgery face challenges such as requiring multiple cuts, deviation from the intended cutting path due to the tendon's toughness, and difficulty in reproducibility and precision, leading to uneven grafts and potential tissue damage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical cutting assembly with a guide and three-sided blade that makes simultaneous longitudinal and transverse cuts, allowing for precise disconnection of a tendon graft from the surrounding tissue with improved reproducibility and reduced procedure time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If existing devices are used to harvest quadriceps tendon, then the tendon can be harvested for graft, but multiple cuts are required and the cutting path deviates due to tendon toughness, resulting in uneven graft cross section
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cutting functions into a single integrated blade assembly that can make longitudinal and transverse cuts simultaneously. The blade is designed with multiple edges and surfaces that perform different cutting actions in one motion, eliminating the need for multiple separate cutting steps and devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device incorporates a movable blade that can transition between different cutting positions and orientations. The blade can be advanced longitudinally along the tendon and then rotated or redirected to make transverse cuts, allowing dynamic adaptation to the cutting requirements throughout the harvesting process.
2Productivity
If free-hand cutting with scalpel blade is used, then the surgeon has flexibility in cutting, but the procedure is time-consuming and results in difficulty of graft reproducibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide structure that acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's intent and the actual cutting action. The guide defines the cutting path and ensures consistent positioning, while the blade follows this predetermined path to produce reproducible graft dimensions without requiring complex robotic automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed with pre-configured cutting edges and guide structures that are prepared in advance to perform specific cutting actions. The blade geometry and guide dimensions are predetermined to produce the desired graft specifications, eliminating the need for intraoperative measurements and adjustments.
3Reliability
If existing harvesting devices are used, then the graft can be removed, but the tendon tissue is tough and causes the device to deviate from intended cutting path, rendering uneven graft strip cross section
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting device employs a composite structure combining rigid guide components with resilient blade elements. The guide provides stable geometric reference, while the blade material and geometry are optimized to maintain cutting efficiency against tough tendon tissue without deviating from the intended path.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is designed with varying properties along its length and width, with different edges optimized for different cutting tasks. The cutting surfaces have specific geometries and angles tailored to penetrate and slice through tendon tissue effectively, while the guide structure has localized features that maintain positioning accuracy at critical points.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If larger skin incision is made to access the end of tendon strip for amputation, then the surgeon can visualize and control the cut, but the incision size increases and tissue damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the amputation function from a separate surgical step requiring large incision and direct visualization. The blade assembly is designed to perform the transverse cut at the tendon end while passing through or alongside the guide structure, allowing the cut to be made through a smaller incision with the guide providing visual and physical guidance.
Data Source
AI summary
A harvesting assembly for harvesting a tissue graft from surrounding tissue is disclosed including a guide. The guide includes a means for fixedly engaging with an anterior surface of the tendon. The guide also includes a means of guiding a cutting blade along a preferred trajectory into and along a length of the tendon. The guide also includes a means of guiding a truncating blade along a preferred trajectory across a width of tendon. The cutting blade may include two parallel blades for forming lateral sides of the tendon graft simultaneously. Each of the two parallel blades may define a leading edge that extends along at least a 90 degree arc that is equidistant from a stop on the cutting blade. The stop in combination with the guide may limit a cut depth into the tendon for a range of cutting blade handle elevation angles.