Buttress Attachment Spring Mechanism for Surgical Stapling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling instruments face challenges in efficiently and reliably attaching and removing buttress materials, which are essential for sealing and reinforcing staple lines, especially in thin or fragile tissues.
Innovation Solution
The surgical stapling apparatus incorporates a buttress retention assembly with a spring member that supports a second buttress material away from a first buttress material, allowing for secure attachment and easy detachment using various fastening methods such as sutures, hook and loop fasteners, adhesives, or hooks, ensuring effective reinforcement and sealing during stapling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If buttress material is attached to surgical stapling instrument, then sealing and reinforcement of staple line is improved, but attachment and removal efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The buttress material is divided into multiple detachable segments or layers that can be independently attached and removed. This segmentation allows the material to be securely fastened during stapling while enabling efficient removal afterward by separating the segments, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable sealing and efficient attachment/removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system employs dynamic fastening mechanisms that can transition between secured and released states. The detachable nature of the buttress material allows it to be firmly attached during the stapling process for reliable sealing, then easily detached afterward, achieving both reliability during operation and efficiency during removal.
2Ease of operation
If detachable fastening methods are used for buttress material, then ease of removal is improved, but attachment reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The buttress material is pre-configured with attachment features such as pre-positioned sutures, hooks, or fastening elements that enable secure attachment during stapling. These preliminary preparations ensure reliable fastening while maintaining the capability for easy removal afterward, as the detachment points are already established in the design.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary fastening mechanism serves as a mediator between the buttress material and the stapling instrument. This intermediary system provides both secure attachment during surgery and easy release afterward, resolving the contradiction between attachment reliability and removal ease by acting as a controllable connection interface.
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
This solution enables reliable attachment and removal of buttress materials, enhancing the sealing and reinforcement of staple lines, thereby preventing tissue tears and leakage, while maintaining the integrity of the stapling process.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member extending from the staple cartridge. The spring member is configured to support the second buttress material away from the first buttress material
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapling apparatus includes a handle, a tool assembly, and a staple cartridge. The handle includes an actuation trigger. The tool assembly is operatively coupled to the handle. In addition, the tool assembly includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The staple cartridge is releasably supported on the first jaw member. The staple cartridge includes first and second buttress materials and a spring member extending from the staple cartridge. The spring member is configured to support the second buttress material away from the first buttress material.