Transmural Access System Using Flexible Overtube and Suture Anchors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods, such as open and laparoscopic surgery, face drawbacks including long recovery times, risk of infection, and aesthetically undesirable scars, with limitations for certain patients like pregnant women and those with previous abdominal surgery, and inadequate access to body cavities like the peritoneal cavity.
Innovation Solution
A transmural access system utilizing a flexible multi-lumen overtube with an endoscope and suture anchors to access body cavities through natural passageways like the stomach or rectum, allowing for secure portal formation and minimally invasive procedures with a safety trocar and suture exchanger for secure and controlled access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If open surgery is used to access body cavity, then direct access to peritoneal cavity is achieved, but recovery period is long and scars are large
Solution Approach 1:
The incision is divided into multiple small segments (multiple small incisions) rather than one large incision, allowing access to the body cavity while minimizing trauma and scarring. Each small incision can be independently closed, facilitating faster recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible overtube is used to maintain access to the body cavity through small incisions. The flexible nature of the overtube allows it to navigate the body passageway and maintain portal access without requiring large rigid structures, thus reducing tissue damage and recovery time.
2Loss of time
If laparoscopic surgery is used to access body cavity, then recovery time is reduced, but access is unsuitable for pregnant women and patients with previous abdominal surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses an intermediary approach by accessing the body cavity through natural body passageways (esophagus, stomach, rectum) rather than directly through the abdominal wall. This intermediary route avoids the limitations of laparoscopy for pregnant women and patients with previous surgery, while still providing minimally invasive benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The access route is changed from the traditional transabdominal dimension to an alternative dimension by passing through the gastrointestinal tract. This dimensional change in the access pathway allows treatment of the same body cavity (peritoneal cavity) without the contraindications of conventional approaches.
3Loss of time
If laparoscopic incisions are made to access abdomen, then recovery is faster than open surgery, but aesthetically undesirable scars remain
Solution Approach 1:
The access portal is extracted from the traditional abdominal wall location and relocated to natural body passageways. By taking out the incision from the visible abdominal area and placing it within the gastrointestinal tract, the scars become hidden within the body, eliminating aesthetic concerns while maintaining fast recovery benefits.
4Ease of operation
If overtube is advanced through body passageway to access portal sight, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but secure attachment to body wall is required
Solution Approach 1:
Suture anchors are deployed through the overtube before the actual procedure begins. This preliminary attachment action secures the overtube to the body wall at the portal sight, ensuring reliable fixation before instruments are introduced and the procedure commences.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture anchors are nested within the overtube structure, allowing them to be delivered through the attachment lumens of the overtube to the body wall. This nesting arrangement enables secure attachment while maintaining the minimally invasive nature of the approach.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for accessing the interior of a cavity of a patient is described. The transmural access system includes an overtube for use with an endoscope, a safety trocar, suture anchors, and a suture exchanger. The overtube is deployed in conjunction with an endoscope through a selected body passageway of a patient to locate a sight for an access portal. The distal end of the multi-lumen overtube is secured to an interior body wall of the selected access portal. A safety trocar is advanced through the main lumen of the overtube to form the access portal to the body cavity. Upon completion of the desired medical procedure, the access portal can be closed by deploying a suture exchanger.