Electrically Weldable Suture Loops for Selective Interface Melting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for welding polymer sutures in situ, such as direct heat application and ultrasonic welding, face challenges including undesirable tissue heating, difficulty in selective melting, and the need for bulky and expensive equipment.
Innovation Solution
The use of electrically weldable polymer sutures and a method/apparatus that employs electrical energy to fuse these sutures by generating heat through electrical resistance, allowing for precise control over the welding process and compatibility with curved or flexible instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If direct heat application is used to weld polymer sutures, then welding can be achieved, but undesirable tissue heating occurs and it is difficult to selectively melt only the interface between suture segments
Solution Approach 1:
The suture material is designed with non-uniform electrical conductivity along its length, with higher conductivity at the interface regions where welding is needed. This local variation in material property enables selective heating at the interface while minimizing heat generation in other parts of the suture and surrounding tissue, directly resolving the contradiction between selective melting precision and tissue heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical conductivity parameter of the suture material along its length, creating zones of different conductivity. By applying electrical energy, the high-conductivity interface regions generate more heat locally, enabling precise welding at the interface while keeping overall tissue heating minimal, thus resolving the contradiction.
2Strength
If ultrasonic welding is used to fuse suture sections, then only the interface between suture segments is melted preserving suture strength, but bulky and expensive equipment is required and straight line access is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical ultrasonic vibration system with an electrical energy-based welding system. Instead of using ultrasonic transducers and waveguides to mechanically vibrate and heat the suture interface, the invention uses electrical energy applied to the suture material itself, which generates heat through its electrical resistance. This substitution eliminates the need for bulky ultrasonic equipment while achieving the same welding effect and preserving suture strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture material itself serves as the heating element through its electrical conductivity. The suture's inherent electrical property enables it to generate heat locally at the interface when electrical energy is applied, eliminating the need for external heating devices or complex ultrasonic transducers, thus simplifying the equipment while maintaining welding effectiveness.
3Reliability
If ultrasonic welding is used, then welding can be achieved, but straight line access between energy source and weld site is required making it incompatible with curved or flexible instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical ultrasonic waveguide system that requires straight-line energy transmission with an electrical energy system that can be delivered through flexible or curved catheters. Electrical energy can be transmitted along flexible conductors, allowing the welding capability to be integrated into curved or flexible surgical instruments, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable welding and instrument adaptability.
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
This approach enables the formation of strong and reliable suture welds without the drawbacks of traditional methods, such as tissue damage and equipment limitations, facilitating efficient and precise surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the application of electrical energy to sections of suture material to induce localized heating of the suture material in the areas or sections to be fused
Implementation Method 2
upon application of sufficient heat to the sections of the sutures to cause partial melting and fusion of the sections of the sutures
Data Source
AI summary
A device for positioning in the body of an animal, the device comprising a first portion and a second portion that may be positioned in contact with one other, the first portion and the second portion each comprising a biocompatible conductive thermoplastic material, such that when the device is positioned in the body of an animal and electric current flows from the first portion to the second portion, heat is generated by electrical resistance at the point of contact between the first portion and the second portion so as to melt regions of the first portion and the second portion, and when the electric current is thereafter terminated, the melted regions of the first portion and the second portion re-solidify so that a weld is formed between the first portion and the second portion.