Buttress Anvil Cinch Track Release Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling instruments face challenges in securely attaching and easily releasing buttress material during and after tissue stapling, particularly in weak or diseased tissues, which can lead to staple line tears and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A buttressed anvil assembly with a tensioning mechanism using a cinch track and release member to securely attach and then release the buttress material, allowing for easy separation post-stapling, featuring a wedge mechanism to move the cinch track between tensioning and releasing positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the buttress material is pre-attached to the anvil assembly, then the attachment security during stapling is improved, but the ease of release after stapling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil assembly employs a dynamic release mechanism that transitions from a secured state during stapling to a released state after stapling. The cinch track and release member allow the sutures to be tensioned during the procedure for secure attachment, then easily released afterward by moving the release member, which shifts the cinch track to release the sutures from the anvil assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is segmented into distinct functional components: the cinch track for tensioning, the release member for actuation, and the suture-buttress material assembly. This segmentation allows independent control of attachment and release functions, enabling secure attachment during stapling while facilitating easy release afterward through actuation of the release member.
2Reliability
If the buttress material is securely attached during stapling, then the tissue reinforcement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil assembly integrates multiple functions into a single device structure. The cinch track serves both to tension the sutures during stapling for secure attachment and to facilitate release afterward. The release member provides a unified actuation mechanism for both securing and releasing the buttress material, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable tissue reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The release mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the release member, which when moved, automatically shifts the cinch track to release the sutures. This self-service design eliminates the need for separate manual detachment procedures or additional complex mechanisms, achieving reliable tissue reinforcement without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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
Enables secure attachment and easy release of the buttress material, enhancing tissue reinforcement and preventing leakage during healing by ensuring the buttress material remains in place during stapling and is easily detached afterward.
Implementation Method 1
A release member is provided in the anvil to move the cinch track between the first vertical position and the second vertical position. The release member includes a wedge engageable within a slot formed in the cinch track. A wedge is movable between a first horizontal position maintaining the cinch track in the first vertical position and a second horizontal position allowing the cinch track to move to the second vertical position.
Data Source
AI summary
A buttressed anvil assembly is provided for use with a surgical stapling instrument. The buttressed anvil assembly generally includes an anvil member having a strip of buttress material attached thereto by a pair of sutures. A tensioning mechanism is provided to secure or tension the buttress material to the anvil member prior to use and allow for release of the buttress material after stapling of tissue. The tensioning mechanism includes a cinch track engageable with one of the pair of sutures.