Anvil Forming Pockets for Staple Alignment and Tissue Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling instruments face challenges in efficiently stapling and cutting tissue due to limitations in staple cartridge design and anvil configuration, which affect the alignment and formation of staples, leading to suboptimal tissue sealing and hemostasis.
Innovation Solution
The surgical stapling assembly features a fastener cartridge with a deck, longitudinal slot, and staple cavities arranged in multiple rows with varying orientations, supported by triple drivers and a sled mechanism, along with an anvil having forming pockets at different angles to accommodate staples of varying orientations, ensuring proper staple alignment and formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If staples are positioned proximal to the proximal-most tissue plane, then staple alignment and formation are improved, but the risk of staple leg breakage increases due to proximity to tissue stop
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil surface incorporates forming pockets with varying depths and configurations at different longitudinal positions. Forming pockets closer to the proximal end have shallower depths to accommodate staple legs without excessive bending, while forming pockets distally have greater depths. This local variation in forming pocket geometry allows proximal staples to be formed with sufficient curvature for secure tissue engagement while maintaining adequate leg length to avoid breakage at the tissue stop interface.
2Reliability
If multiple rows of staple cavities with varying orientations are used, then tissue sealing and hemostasis are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staple cartridge deck is segmented into multiple rows of staple cavities, with each row containing staples of a specific orientation (longitudinal, oblique, or reverse oblique). This segmentation allows each staple row to be optimized for engaging tissue in different directions, creating a comprehensive sealing pattern. The anvil corresponds with this segmentation by providing dedicated forming pockets for each staple orientation, enabling the system to achieve superior tissue sealing through organized, modular staple deployment.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapling assembly is disclosed. The assembly can include a cartridge body having cavities defined therein forming a pattern of openings in the deck of the cartridge body. The pattern can include longitudinally-repeating clusters of cavity ends. The assembly can also include fasteners removably positioned in the cavities. The pattern of openings can comprise openings on a first side of the cartridge body comprising inner openings each defining an inner proximal-to-distal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis, outer openings each defining an outer proximal-to-distal axis obliquely-oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at an outer angle, and intermediate openings each defining an intermediate proximal-to-distal axis obliquely-oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at an intermediate angle, wherein the intermediate angle is different than the outer angle. The assembly can include a sled having offset ramps and/or an anvil comprising an arrangement of forming pockets proximal to the tissue stop.