Surgical instrument for adhering to tissues
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A surgical device adapted to adhere to tissues, comprising:
- a micromechanical frame;
a plurality of micromechanical appendages moveably linked to the micromechanical frame; and
a plurality of nano-fibers disposed on the terminus of at least one micromechanical appendage, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, wherein each nano-fiber is adapted to provide an adhesive force on the surface of a tissue.
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Abstract
A surgical device capable of adhering to tissues is disclosed herein. The surgical device includes a micromechanical frame moveably linked to a plurality of micromechanical appendages. A plurality of nano-fibers that mimic adhesion of the Tokay Gecko are disposed at the terminus of each protrusion.
121 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A surgical device adapted to adhere to tissues, comprising:
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a micromechanical frame;
a plurality of micromechanical appendages moveably linked to the micromechanical frame; and
a plurality of nano-fibers disposed on the terminus of at least one micromechanical appendage, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, wherein each nano-fiber is adapted to provide an adhesive force on the surface of a tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of adhering the surgical device to a tissue, comprising:
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providing a surgical device having a micromechanical frame, a plurality of micromechanical appendages moveably linked to the micromechanical frame, and a plurality of nano-fibers 4 cm disposed on the terminus of at least one micromechanical appendage, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, contacting the terminus of the at least one appendage to a tissue surface, causing at least a portion of the nano-fibers disposed on the at least one appendage adhere to the tissue, to adhere the surgical device to the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of moving a surgical device along the surface of a tissue, comprising:
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providing a surgical device having a micromechanical frame, a plurality of micromechanical appendages moveably linked to the micromechanical frame, and a plurality of nano-fibers disposed on the terminus of at least one micromechanical appendage, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, contacting the terminus of at least a portion of the appendages with the tissue surface, causing at least a portion of the nano-fibers disposed on the portion of appendages to adhere to the tissue, detaching at least one appendage from the tissue by increasing the angle of the terminus of the at least one protrusion relative to the tissue, to break the adhesion of the one or more nano-fibers with the tissue and peeling the appendage away from the tissue;
re-adhering the at least one appendage to the tissue by contacting the at least one appendage in the direction normal to the tissue surface, then moving the at least one appendage in the lateral direction along the tissue surface, to cause at least a portion of the plurality of nano-fibers disposed on the terminus of the appendage to adhere to the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of making a surgical device, comprising:
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providing a micromechanical frame;
moveably linking a plurality of micromechanical appendages to the micromechanical frame; and
disposing a plurality of nano-fibers on the terminus of at least one micromechanical appendage, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, wherein each nano-fiber capable of providing an adhesive force on the surface of a tissue.
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Specification