Circular Stapler for Aortic Anastomosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for treating Type A aortic dissection, which involve replacing the dissected aorta with a Dacron tube graft, are time-consuming and risky, often requiring prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass and leading to increased mortality and morbidity rates due to the fragility of the aortic ends and the need for multiple sutures.
Innovation Solution
A circular stapler device that allows for simultaneous multi-fire stapling, reducing alignment complexity and dexterity requirements, eliminating the need for cuffing and multiple suturing, and providing a leak-free seal with staggered staple patterns for precise closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional suturing methods are used for aortic anastomosis, then the connection can be made, but the procedure takes a considerable length of time and increases the risk of complications
Solution Approach 1:
The anastomosis process is divided into multiple staple firing locations arranged in a circular pattern around the aortic end. Instead of making a single continuous suture, multiple discrete staple firings are performed at different angular positions, allowing parallel progression of the sealing process and significantly reducing total procedure time while maintaining connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary alignment and positioning of the aortic end with the graft before initiating staple firing. The aortic end is clamped and positioned in a predetermined location, and the stapling mechanism is pre-configured with staples arranged in a circular pattern, enabling rapid sequential firing without repeated positioning adjustments.
2Strength
If multiple sutures are used to secure the aortic ends, then the connection strength is improved, but the complexity of the procedure and dexterity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual sutures are merged into a single integrated circular stapling mechanism. The stapling device combines multiple staple firing actions into one unified operation, where staples are fired sequentially or simultaneously around the circular perimeter of the aortic end, achieving the connection strength of multiple sutures with the simplicity of a single device action.
Solution Approach 2:
The stapling device performs the complex multi-point connection process automatically without requiring manual dexterity for each suture. The mechanism self-aligns, self-positions, and self-fires staples in a predetermined circular pattern, eliminating the need for the surgeon to manually perform multiple suturing actions and reducing procedural complexity.
3Reliability
If the aortic ends are prepared with multiple layers and sutures, then the leak resistance is improved, but the procedural time and tissue damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stapling device applies localized compression and sealing at multiple discrete points around the aortic end circumference. Each staple firing location provides concentrated sealing action on the intimal and adventitial layers at specific angular positions, creating multiple localized seal points that collectively provide leak resistance without requiring extensive tissue manipulation or prolonged exposure time.
Data Source
AI summary
Device and method for anastomosis may include a circular stapler with central anvil and multiple circumferentially disposed stapling limbs. A tubular graft may be sleeved on the anvil. The anvil with sleeved graft may be inserted into an end of a dissected aorta to form an overlap. Control actuation may cause the limbs to all substantially simultaneously close and then fire staples respectively into the overlap. The staples may form two generally parallel rows around the overlap with staples of each row being staggered relative to staples of the other row, thereby making a leak-free connection between the tubular graft and the end of the aorta. Control actuation may cause the limbs to open so the anvil may be removed from the end of the aorta, leaving the tubular graft in a leak-free connection with the aorta's end. Exemplary embodiments may allow for generally faster anastomosis than prior art.