Self-Supporting Vaginal Implant for Minimally Invasive Prolapse Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating pelvic conditions such as vaginal vault prolapse are invasive, lengthy, and require significant recovery time, with existing implants often needing to be attached to the outer surface of vaginal tissue and requiring external incisions.
Innovation Solution
Development of implants with a self-supporting, shaped tissue support portion that can be placed internally within the vaginal tissue, allowing for minimally invasive procedures through laparoscopic or transvaginal approaches, and an extension portion that secures to supportive tissue without needing external attachment to the vaginal tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional implants are attached to the outer surface of vaginal tissue, then secure support is achieved, but surgical complexity and recovery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is inverted from the traditional external attachment approach to an internal placement approach. The tissue support portion is placed inside the vaginal tissue rather than attached to the outer surface, fundamentally reversing the attachment paradigm while maintaining support effectiveness through internal structural integration
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is extracted from the surgical field by designing the implant to be self-retaining within the vaginal tissue. The extension portion secures to supportive tissue internally, eliminating the need for external incisions and complex external attachment procedures
2Loss of time
If minimally invasive approaches are used, then recovery time is reduced, but implant placement precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The implant's physical parameters are optimized to enable minimally invasive delivery while maintaining placement precision. The compressible design allows the implant to be delivered through small incisions, and the self-supporting shaped structure ensures accurate positioning within the vaginal tissue without requiring complex surgical exposure
3Ease of operation
If the implant is designed to be compressible, then minimally invasive insertion is enabled, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates dynamic properties through its compressible design that allows it to transition between compressed and expanded states. The structure is engineered to be compressible for minimally invasive insertion through small incisions, then expands to its functional configuration to provide robust structural support and maintain integrity during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes composite material construction that combines compressibility with structural strength. The tissue support portion and extension portion are designed with materials that enable both compression for delivery and sufficient strength for long-term support, resolving the contradiction between ease of insertion and structural integrity
Data Source
AI summary
Described are various embodiments of surgical procedures, systems, implants, devices, tools, and methods, useful for treating pelvic conditions in a male or female, the pelvic conditions including incontinence (various forms such as fecal incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, etc.), vaginal prolapse (including various forms such as enterocele, cystocele, rectocele, apical or vault prolapse, uterine descent, etc.), and other conditions caused by muscle and ligament weakness, the devices and tools including devices and tools for anchoring an implant to tissue.