Anvil Assembly with Variable Depth Staple Forming Pockets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical staplers inadequately address variability in tissue thickness during procedures, leading to potential leaks or bleeding due to the subjective selection of staple heights and limited compression capabilities, which can result in incomplete staple formation.
Innovation Solution
An anvil assembly with staple forming pockets featuring first and second staple forming cups of different depths, aligned in rows to accommodate varying tissue thicknesses, allowing for staggered or angled configurations to ensure optimal staple formation across the staple line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single staple height is used for all tissue thicknesses, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of staple formation deteriorates due to inability to accommodate varying tissue thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is segmented into multiple rows of staple forming pockets, with each row containing pockets of different depths. This segmentation allows different staple lengths to be formed simultaneously within the same cartridge, enabling accommodation of varying tissue thicknesses without requiring multiple cartridge types.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the anvil are given different local qualities by varying the depth of staple forming pockets at different locations. This allows the anvil to provide different staple lengths for different tissue thicknesses at different positions along the stapling line.
2Ease of operation
If the surgeon selects staple height subjectively based on tissue thickness estimation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision of staple formation deteriorates due to potential incorrect staple height selection
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil performs self-adjustment by automatically selecting the appropriate staple length based on the tissue thickness at each position. The varying depth pockets in different rows automatically accommodate different tissue thicknesses without requiring surgeon intervention or selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides implicit feedback by allowing the surgeon to use a single cartridge type while the varying pocket depths automatically adapt to tissue thickness variations, eliminating the need for subjective estimation and providing consistent, precise staple formation.
3Ease of manufacture
If staples are formed with uniform compression force, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the adaptability to tissue thickness variations deteriorates leading to potential leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is divided into multiple rows of staple forming pockets with different depths, allowing uniform compression force to be applied while creating staples of different lengths. This segmentation enables the same manufacturing process to produce adaptable staples for varying tissue thicknesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The depth parameter of the staple forming pockets is varied across different rows and positions. This parameter change allows the same stapling mechanism to produce staples with different effective lengths, adapting to tissue thickness variations while maintaining a uniform compression force application process.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapler having an anvil including a plurality of staple forming pockets for forming staples. The staple forming pockets include first and second staple forming cups configured to receive first and second legs of a staple respectively. The first staple forming cup within each staple forming pocket has a different depth from the second staple forming cup within that staple forming pocket.