Device for loading protective strips onto a surgical stapler

Abstract

A device (100) for loading a reinforcing strip at a working surface (501) of a surgical stapler (500), which device (100) comprises a flat main body (1) housing the reinforcing strip (101), said main body (1) being obtained by folding transversally a blank in such a way as to define a housing for the reinforcing strip (101) open at longitudinal margins (11-13) and at least partially closed at transverse margins (20 -202), which main body (1) is substantially "U"-like shaped in plan, having a central through opening (15) extending longitudinally, the opening (15) exposing, in use, a portion of the reinforcing strip (101), so as to allow the extraction of the reinforcing strip (101) from the housing by means of pinching such strip between opposite working surfaces (501, 502) of the stapler (500).

Description

[0001] DEVICE FOR LOADING PROTECTIVE STRIPS ONTO A SURGICAL STAPLER

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Technical field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a container device for loading protective strips onto a surgical stapler.

[0005] In particular, the invention relates to a specific type of container and packaging for such strips.

[0006] Background

[0007] Surgical staplers configured for applying one or more staples, typically in one or more rows, upon biological tissue portions to be re-joined, or sewn, are known.

[0008] It is also known to arrange a strip, or a tissue flap, onto one or both the working surfaces of the stapler jaw or clamping mechanism facing towards each other during the application of the staples. Such strip, which remains stapled to the biological tissue portion, is capable of further stabilizing the wound which is being sutured. For example, the strip can have disinfecting, antimicrobial / viral, coagulating, haemostatic or other properties.

[0009] Going in more operating details, the strip has to adhere onto the respective working surface of the stapler before firing the staples. To this purpose, devices, or cartridges, for packaging strips have been provided, which have an opening allowing to draw the strips directly by means of the stapler jaw mechanism. In particular, the strip is extracted from its own container device by actuating the clamping motion of the stapler and it then remains adhered onto one of the two working surfaces of the latter by means of an adhesive pre-applied onto the surface itself or integrated in the strip material.

[0010] A device for loading strips on a stapler of the type described above is, for example, the object of EP1006884B1.

[0011] The known devices for packaging, or loading, strips have some relevant drawbacks.

[0012] First of all, they are specific for a certain strip size and therefore for one single stapler type.

[0013] Moreover, the known devices have a relatively complex structure, also linked to the need for providing lateral guiding profiles that constrain the collecting motion performed by means of the stapler clamping portion.

[0014] Furthermore, in case of application of one single strip on one single stapler working surface, some known loading devices have to be turned upside down in order to allow using the above-mentioned collecting guides.

[0015] Summary of the invention

[0016] The technical problem posed and solved by the present invention is therefore to provide a container device for loading one or more protective strips onto a surgical stapler allowing overcoming one or more of the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.

[0017] Such problem is solved by a device according to claim 1 .

[0018] Preferred features of the present invention are set forth in the depending claims.

[0019] The invention provides a container, or loading, device, or cartridge, configured to allow the application of one or a pair of strips at one or both working surfaces of the stapler facing each other. The device has a flat main body, obtained starting from one or more sheet or foil elements, with a substantially “U”-like overall shape. Such main body has a through opening between the two main branches of “II” in order to allow the stapler a pinching motion for collecting the strip(s). The opening, in fact, exposes the strip(s) housed in the main body with the purpose of allowing the collection thereof by the clamping, or jaw, portion of the stapler.

[0020] The main body of the device can be obtained starting from a sheet element, for example a flat blank, folded upon itself, therefore with extreme implementation and structure simplicity. The main body can be made of paper, aluminium or rigid or semirigid plastic, in case with suitable pre-formed folding areas or lines.

[0021] The device is not constrained to a specific length or width of the strips and therefore it allows to load reinforcing strips on all stapler types existing on the market, with extremely versatility of use.

[0022] Moreover, in case of a single strip the operator can select the direction for applying it, that is the upper or lower working surface of the stapler, without having to turn the container device upside down. Other advantages, features and use modes of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of some embodiments, shown by way of example and not for limitative purposes.

[0023] Short description of the figures

[0024] The figures of the enclosed drawings will be referred to, wherein:

[0025] ■ Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a device for loading suture reinforcing strips according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] ■ Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the device of Figure 1 ;

[0027] ■ Figure 3 shows the device of Figure 1 during its assembly;

[0028] ■ Figure 4 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment variant of the device of the invention;

[0029] ■ Figures 5 to 8 show each a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 in a respective step of collecting strips by means of a surgical stapler;

[0030] ■ Figure 9 shows a box comprising a plurality of devices according to Figure 1 , each one inserted in a single packaging casing or wrapping.

[0031] Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0032] Various embodiments and variants of the invention will be described in the following, with reference to the above-mentioned figures.

[0033] Analogous components are designated with the same numeral reference in the various figures.

[0034] In the following detailed description, additional embodiments and variants with respect to embodiments and variants already disclosed in the description itself will be illustrated merely in conjunction with the differences with respect to what already illustrated.

[0035] Moreover, the different embodiments and variants described hereinafter are suitable to be used in combination, if compatible.

[0036] By firstly referring to Figures 1 and 2, a device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is designated as a whole with 100.

[0037] The device 100 is configured for loading a reinforcing strip 101 at a working surface 501 of a surgical stapler 500, as it will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5.

[0038] Of course, the reinforcement strip is configured to be applied onto, and in contact with, a patient’s biological tissue being sutured by the stapler.

[0039] The device 100 comprises a main body 1 configured to house the reinforcing strip 101. The main body 1 is flat, having a longitudinal dimension L and a transverse direction T prevailing with respect to its thickness.

[0040] The main body 1 can be made of a material selected in a group comprising: paper, cardboard, aluminium and plastics and, more generally, any thin sheet material compatible with the needs for sterility of the reinforcing strip.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 1 is obtained by folding an elongated blank 20 according to the transverse direction T at a first and a second folding line, respectively 201 and 202, according to a mode which can be defined as wallet-like, that is with two blank lateral, or end, flaps 21 and 23 which fold, on the same side, onto a central flap 22.

[0042] The flaps 21-23 therefore define walls of the main body 1 each in form of a sheet or lamina.

[0043] In plan view, the main body 1 is substantially “U”-like shaped, in particular with a square shape or profile, having a central through opening 15 extending longitudinally until it interrupts an anterior transverse margin 211 of the main body 1 corresponding to the folding line 202. Such interruption defines a mouth, or access, 150 of the opening 15.

[0044] The main body 1 therefore defines an internal housing 111 between the side flaps 21 , 23 on one upper side and the central flap 22 on the other, bottom side. The housing 111 is open bilaterally at longitudinal margins 11 , 12 and 13 of the three overlapped flaps 21 , 22 and 23 and it is closed transversally at the flap transverse margins which correspond to the folding lines 201 and 202, with the exception of the portion of the end margin 211 interrupted by the opening 15.

[0045] The reinforcing strip 101 is arranged within the housing 111 , resting on the central flap 22, so that a portion thereof is exposed at the opening 15. In the embodiment of Figures 3, 7 and 8 the strip 101 has blunted longitudinal margins, respectively 103 and 104, intended to ease the longitudinal extraction of the strip 101 from the housing 111 at the opening 15, in particular at the mouth 150 thereof.

[0046] Embodiment variants, shown in particular in Figure 8, provide that the housing 111 receives two overlapped strips 101 , 102.

[0047] In the embodiment variant of Figure 4, the main body 1 , at opposite portions of the anterior transverse margin 211 siding the opening 15, has a pair of notches 301 , 302 for retaining the reinforcing strip 101 .

[0048] In this case, the reinforcing strip(s) is(are) arranged longitudinally projecting beyond the anterior transverse margin 211 and retained laterally within the notches 301 , 302.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, the device 100 can be packaged in a closed casing, or wrapping, 600 included in a box 700 containing a plurality of casings or wrappings arranged stacked on top of each other or side by side.

[0050] By still referring to Figure 9 and also to Figures 5 to 8, at the time of use the device 100 is extracted from its own casing 600. The strip portion 101 exposed through the opening 15 can be grasped, with a clamping or jaw motion, between the working surfaces 501 , 502 of a stapler 500 and extracted longitudinally from the housing 111.

[0051] Such extraction mode does not change if there are two strips in the housing 111 or in the two embodiments illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 4.

[0052] In order to ease retaining the strip on the respective working surface 501 , 502 of the stapler after extracting the housing 111 , on such surface a gel, possibly also with haemostatic properties, can be applied.

[0053] Moreover, the strip itself can be made of a haemostatic material, also so as to use the exceeding strip portion not directly sutured to wrap the cut tissue and prevent or stop bleeding.

[0054] The present invention has been sofar described with reference to preferred embodiments. It is to be meant that other embodiments belonging to the same inventive core may exist, as defined by the protective scope of the herebelow reported claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A container device (100) for loading a reinforcement strip onto a working surface (501) of a surgical stapler (500), the reinforcement strip being suitable to be in contact with a patient’s biological tissue sutured by the surgical stapler, which device (100) comprises a main body (1 ) configured to house at least one reinforcing strip (101 ), which main body (1) is flat, having a longitudinal direction (L) of extension and a perpendicular transverse direction (T) of extension prevailing substantially with respect to its thickness, said longitudinal dimension (L) corresponding to an extraction direction of the reinforcing strip (101) and said transversal dimension (T) corresponding to a folding direction, said main body (1) defining a housing (111) for the reinforcement strip (101 ) closed at least at transverse margins, which main body (1) is shaped in plan as a "U", having a central through opening (15) extending longitudinally until it interrupts an anterior transverse margin (211) of the main body (1 ), the central through opening (15) exposing, in use, a portion of the reinforcing strip (101), in such a way as to allow the extraction of the reinforcing strip (101) from the housing (111) by means of pinching the strip between opposite working surfaces (501 , 502) of the stapler (500), wherein said main body (1) is made by a sheet element (20) folded according to said transverse direction (T), said main body (1) having at least two flaps (21 , 22) separated by a folding line (201 , 202), which flaps (21 , 22) define therebetween said housing (111 ), the housing (111) being open at longitudinal margins thereof (11-13), said main body (1) being defined exclusively by walls in form of a sheets or laminas.

2. The device (100) according to the previous claim, wherein said main body (1) is obtained starting from said sheet element (20), in particular a blank, by carrying out two intermediate folds (201 , 202) at transversal lines.

3. The device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said main body (1) is shaped as a squared "U" in plan.

4. The device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said main body (1) has, at opposite parts of said anterior transverse margin (211) facing said opening (15), a pair of notches (301 , 302) for holding the reinforcing strip (101 ).

5. The device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or two reinforcing strips (101 , 102) housed within said main body (1).

6. The device (100) according to claims 4 and 5, wherein said one or two reinforcing strips (101 , 102) are housed in said main body (1) and project longitudinally beyond said transverse anterior transverse margin (211), said one or two reinforcing strips (101 , 102) bei n g retained within said notches (301 , 302).

7. The device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said main body (1 ) is made of a material selected from a group comprising: paper, cardboard, aluminum and plastic.

8. A packaging comprising a plurality of devices (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, each received in a closed envelope (600), which packaging preferably comprises a container box (700) in which said envelopes are arranged stacked on top of each other or side by side.

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