Tissue Grasper Assembly With Locking Arms for Secure Apposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Challenges exist in effectively moving and anchoring tissue walls, such as body lumens, to form an anastomosis or repair tissue defects, with existing tools and methods being inefficient and potentially risky for leakage.
Innovation Solution
A tissue-manipulating device with a shaft, tissue grasper assembly, and controller, featuring movable grasper arms that can pivot between closed and open configurations, allowing for tissue engagement and approximation, optionally with a sharpened element for puncturing, and a locking mechanism to maintain tissue apposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tissue manipulation methods are used, then tissue approximation can be achieved, but the procedure time is excessive and leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue manipulation device is divided into multiple grasper arms that can independently engage and manipulate different tissue walls. This segmentation allows simultaneous control of multiple tissue structures, enabling faster and more reliable approximation while reducing procedure time and leakage risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The grasper arms are pre-configured with engagement surfaces and locking mechanisms that enable immediate secure grasping of tissue walls upon deployment. This preliminary preparation of the grasping structure allows for rapid tissue approximation without requiring extensive manual manipulation, thereby reducing procedure time while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If tissue walls are moved to form anastomosis, then anatomical connection is achieved, but anchoring stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The grasper arms incorporate movable joints and adjustable engagement surfaces that allow dynamic adaptation to different tissue configurations. This dynamic structure enables easy positioning of tissue walls during the approximation process while providing stable anchoring once the desired configuration is achieved, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and anchoring stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes adjustable grasping force parameters and engagement depth parameters that can be modified during operation. By changing these parameters, the operator can easily position tissue walls initially, then increase anchoring stability as needed, achieving both ease of operation and reliable anchoring at different stages of the procedure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If grasper arms are made movable between closed and open configurations, then tissue engagement flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grasper arms are designed with nested linkage mechanisms where smaller mechanical components are contained within larger structural elements. This nesting allows the arms to move between closed and open configurations through a compact mechanism, providing tissue engagement flexibility while minimizing the overall device complexity and footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements are merged into integrated components - the grasper arms combine gripping surfaces, articulation joints, and actuation mechanisms into unified structures. This merging provides versatile tissue engagement capabilities while reducing the total number of separate parts, thereby maintaining acceptable device complexity despite the movable configuration requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue-manipulating system including a tissue-manipulating device having a tissue grasper assembly with at least one grasper arm movably coupled to a shaft to move between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The at least one grasper arm may be pivotably coupled to the shaft, such as via a collar. A tissue-manipulating device controller is coupled to the tissue grasper assembly to move the at least one grasper arm between the closed and open configurations. The tissue grasper assembly is positionable to move a distal tissue wall closer to a proximal tissue wall. The tissue grasper assembly may be deployable (such as by separating from the shaft) to remain in place holding the distal tissue wall and proximal tissue wall in apposition.