Trocar Opening Closure Arms With Retractable Tissue Anchoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures face challenges in efficiently closing trocar openings due to tissue wall thickness, leading to complications such as trocar site hernia, loss of body fluids, and infections, with existing devices often being complex, costly, and risky.
Innovation Solution
A biomedical device with a central component and movably connected arms that transform between configurations, featuring penetration means with barbs for anchoring in tissue, allowing closure from the inside and reducing the opening size, facilitated by a kit of parts and assembly method that includes guiding elements and clamping means for ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing closure devices are used to close trocar openings, then the opening can be sealed, but the device complexity increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The closure device is divided into multiple independent arms (at least three arms) that can be separately inserted and deployed. Each arm can be independently controlled to engage with the tissue, allowing for simplified individual components while achieving reliable closure through the coordinated action of multiple segments
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are configured to be insertable through a common delivery device or sheath in a collapsed state, then expand outward to engage the tissue. This nesting approach allows complex multi-arm functionality to be delivered through a simple single-lumen trocar opening, reducing the complexity of the delivery system
2Reliability
If existing closure devices are used to close trocar openings, then the opening can be sealed, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses simple geometric features (protrusions on arms, corresponding recesses in tissue) rather than complex mechanical components. The penetration elements have specific local geometries optimized for tissue engagement, while the overall structure relies on basic shapes that are inexpensive to manufacture using standard medical device fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
All arms are made from the same material with similar structural characteristics, allowing for standardized manufacturing processes. The uniform design of multiple identical or similar arms enables economies of scale in production and simplifies quality control compared to devices with heterogeneous components
3Reliability
If existing closure devices are used to close trocar openings, then the opening can be sealed, but the risk of complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The arms are pre-configured with penetration elements and engagement features that automatically engage the tissue upon deployment. The device is designed to perform the critical tissue engagement action as part of the standard deployment sequence, ensuring proper anchoring before the procedure is complete, thereby preventing herniation and other complications
Solution Approach 2:
The penetration elements and engagement features are designed to automatically secure the arms to the tissue through the device's own deployment motion. The mechanical interlocking of protrusions and recesses occurs self-actuatingly as the arms expand, without requiring additional fastening steps or external assistance, reducing the risk of improper closure
4Reliability
If arms are oriented at larger angles to close the opening effectively, then the closure effectiveness improves, but the device cannot be inserted through the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The arms are designed to change their orientation dynamically during deployment. They start in a collapsed configuration with small angles relative to the delivery device axis for easy insertion, then transition to a deployed configuration with larger angles (substantially perpendicular) to effectively engage and close the tissue opening. This dynamic transformation allows the device to overcome the geometric constraint
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a one-dimensional linear insertion mode to a three-dimensional deployed configuration. The arms expand radially outward from the central delivery device, utilizing the radial dimension to achieve the necessary engagement angles with the tissue while maintaining a compact profile during axial insertion through the trocar opening
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 effectively closes or reduces the size of body wall openings, improving healing and preventing complications by anchoring securely within tissue layers, reducing the risk of herniation and infection, while being easier to assemble and less complex than existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
penetration means for penetrating said body wall... The biomedical device is configured such that... the tip of the penetration means is located at a first distance (e.g. R1) from the central axis when the device is in a deployed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A biomedical device (100) for closing an opening (1261) of a body wall (1260), comprising: a central component (101), and a plurality of arms (120) movably connected to the central component; wherein the arms (120) comprise an elongated arm portion (121) and penetration means (122) comprising a barb (123); wherein the biomedical device is configured such that: a) the elongated arm portions are oriented in a first direction when the device is in a delivery configuration; b) the elongated arm portions are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the penetration means are located at a first distance (R1) from the central component, when the device is in a deployed configuration; and c) the elongated arm portions are oriented in said plane, and the penetration means are located at a second distance (R2) from the central component, smaller than the first distance (R1), when the device is in a retracted configuration.