Surgical Tissue Connector Base with Tapered Surface for Snag Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tissue connectors often snag or catch on tubular delivery devices during laparoscopic procedures, making it difficult to deliver and remove them from the body effectively.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tissue connector apparatus with a base having a tapered or chamfered proximal end surface and a hook that is shielded by the base's peripheral side surface, allowing easy delivery through a tubular delivery device and subsequent removal by centering the base within the tube to prevent snagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hook is added to the tissue connector to enable tissue engagement, then the tissue connector's functionality is improved, but the hook may snag or catch on the tubular delivery device during delivery and removal
Solution Approach 1:
A tapered surface is introduced as an intermediary feature between the hook and the tubular delivery device. This tapered surface acts as a mediator that guides the connector through the tube by preventing lateral deviation and snagging, while the hook itself remains intact for its tissue engagement function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tapered surface is pre-configured on the connector base to automatically engage with the inner surface of the tubular delivery device during insertion. This preliminary geometric constraint prevents the hook from contacting or snagging on the tube during delivery and removal operations.
2Ease of operation
If the base peripheral surface is made smooth for easy passage through the tube, then delivery ease is improved, but the hook may more easily snag on objects outside the tube
Solution Approach 1:
The connector base is designed with asymmetric features: a smooth peripheral cylindrical surface for tube passage, combined with a tapered surface and a positioned hook. The hook is strategically located and oriented so that its potential snagging path is blocked by the base geometry itself, creating an asymmetric protection mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If the tapered surface is added to the base to prevent snagging during removal, then removal ease is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire base complex, only a localized tapered surface is added to specific regions of the base. This localized geometric feature provides the necessary guidance and snagging prevention during removal without significantly increasing overall device complexity or manufacturing difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and its method of use in delivering surgical tissue connectors into an area of the body and removing the surgical tissue connectors from the body area. The tissue connectors are connected to a base which allows for easy adjustment of the tissue connectors along a cord. The base includes a locking mechanism which impinges a sliding knot in the cord, and, in alternate configurations of the locking mechanism and knot, impinges on the sliding knot to prevent sliding in a loosening direction but allow sliding in a tightening direction, or allows sliding in a loosening direction.