Surgical Buttress Attachment Assembly for Taut Staple Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical buttress attachment methods are cumbersome, costly, and can cause deformation or elongation of surgical buttresses during assembly, affecting staple formation.
Innovation Solution
A surgical buttress attachment assembly that secures a surgical buttress to a staple cartridge using a distal and proximal buttress attachment mechanism, with a movable block body and resilient biasing member to maintain the buttress taut and prevent deformation during assembly and firing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual attachment of buttress materials is performed in the operating room, then the surgeon has flexibility in selecting and applying materials, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The buttress material is pre-installed on the staple cartridge before the surgical procedure. The attachment assembly is pre-configured with the buttress material secured to both the anvil and cartridge, eliminating the need for manual attachment during surgery. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction by maintaining material flexibility through pre-selection while dramatically reducing operative time.
2Ease of operation
If existing attachment mechanisms are used, then the buttress can be attached to the stapling apparatus, but the buttress may become elongated or deformed during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly provides localized support structures at specific points along the buttress material. The anvil attachment portion and cartridge attachment portion create discrete anchor points that distribute forces evenly, preventing localized stress concentrations that would cause deformation. This localized quality enhancement resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of attachment while preventing buttress distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment assembly is designed with built-in protective features that prevent deformation before it can occur. The structured connection points and tension distribution mechanisms are incorporated in advance to cushion the buttress material against forces that would cause elongation or distortion during the attachment process.
3Reliability
If complex attachment assemblies are used to prevent deformation, then buttress integrity is maintained, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: the anvil attachment portion, the buttress material itself, and the cartridge attachment portion. Each segment performs a specific function and can be independently optimized. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining buttress integrity through specialized design at each interface while keeping the overall assembly manageable and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: securing the buttress material, maintaining its tension, preventing deformation, and facilitating easy installation. By integrating these functions into a single unified structure rather than separate components, the design achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing complexity or cost.
4Manufacturing precision
If the buttress is kept taut during assembly, then flush staple formation is achieved, but additional attachment mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly merges the tensioning function with the securing function into a single integrated structure. The same components that attach the buttress to the anvil and cartridge also maintain the taut state necessary for flush staple formation. This merging resolves the contradiction by achieving precise staple formation without requiring separate, additional tensioning mechanisms.
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
Facilitates a simple, cost-effective attachment process that maintains the surgical buttress in a taut state, ensuring flush staple formation and minimizing deformation, thereby enhancing surgical stapling apparatus performance.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient biasing member disposed within the cavity and biased to maintain the block body in the extended position
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical buttress attachment assembly includes a staple cartridge having a cartridge body and a cartridge tip, and a surgical buttress. The cartridge tip includes a distal buttress attachment assembly including a block body disposed within a cavity defined in the cartridge tip and a distal tongue extending distally from the block body. The block body is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A proximal end portion of the surgical buttress is releasably secured to the cartridge body and a distal end portion of the surgical buttress is releasably secured to the cartridge tip by engagement of the distal tongue with the distal end portion when the block body is in the extended position.