Surgical Buttress Attachment via Continuous Suture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling instruments lack a secure and releasable attachment method for staple line reinforcement materials, which are essential for preventing tissue tears and leakage, especially when dealing with thin or fragile tissues.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling apparatus with a detachable surgical buttress secured by a continuous suture that extends across the staple cartridge and anvil assemblies, using adhesive and grooves to maintain the buttress in place, allowing for secure attachment and easy removal post-use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a buttress is attached to the stapling apparatus using fasteners or clips, then the buttress can be temporarily connected to the jaws, but the attachment method is complex and requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex fastener or clip components from the attachment mechanism. Instead, the continuous suture is directly integrated into the grooves of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly, eliminating the need for separate fastening components while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous suture serves multiple functions simultaneously: it attaches the buttress to the cartridge assembly, attaches the buttress to the anvil assembly, and provides reinforcement across both junctions. This merging of functions into a single integrated component reduces overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If a continuous suture is used to secure the buttress, then the attachment is secure and releasable, but the suture must extend across both cartridge and anvil assemblies requiring precise routing
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous suture acts as an intermediary element that bridges the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly. By routing through grooves in both components, the suture creates a unified attachment system that secures the buttress to both jaws simultaneously, simplifying the overall attachment process despite the extended routing path.
3Strength
If the buttress is firmly attached to prevent tissue tears, then reinforcement is effective, but removal after use requires additional steps
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous suture is designed to be removed along with the stapling apparatus after use. The suture, having served its purpose of securing the buttress during the surgical procedure, is discarded as part of the disposable loading unit, eliminating the need for separate removal steps and saving time.
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
The solution provides a secure and releasable attachment of the buttress to the stapling apparatus, ensuring effective reinforcement of the staple line while allowing for easy removal after use, thereby preventing tissue tears and leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a surgical buttress secured by a continuous suture that extends across the staple cartridge and anvil assemblies, using adhesive and grooves to maintain the buttress in place
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapling apparatus, a surgical stapling loading unit and a staple cartridge assembly are provided including a buttress releasably disposed against a tissue contacting surface of a cartridge assembly and/or an anvil assembly, a continuous length of suture securing a respective surgical buttress against the respective the tissue contacting surface, wherein the suture extends transversely across the respective surgical buttress, and a retaining feature securing each suture to the respective cartridge assembly and anvil assembly. The retaining feature may include an adhesive adhering the suture to a surface of the cartridge assembly and/or anvil assembly. The adhesive may adheres the suture to multiple locations along the surface of the cartridge assembly and/or anvil assembly.