D-Shaped Staple Cartridge Nesting and Anti-Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical staplers face challenges in refilling cartridges due to their small size and difficulty in secure manipulation, leading to time-consuming processes and potential misfires during minimally invasive procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of a surgical fastening device with a staple cartridge containing D-shaped, plastically deformable staples and an anti-rotation mechanism, along with a sled and shearing element, facilitates efficient staple deployment and secure tissue engagement, preventing counter-rotation and ensuring proper staple detachment from the carrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the staple cartridge is made small to enable minimally invasive surgery, then the surgical access is improved, but the cartridge becomes difficult to manipulate and refill
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is designed with a nested structure where the carrier is positioned within the cartridge housing, and the sled moves along rails nested within the cartridge. This nested arrangement allows the compact cartridge to contain all necessary components for staple deployment while maintaining ease of manipulation during refilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sled acts as an intermediary component that facilitates staple ejection from the carrier. By introducing this intermediate element, the system enables controlled staple deployment without requiring direct manipulation of the small cartridge contents, thus solving the manipulation difficulty while maintaining compact size.
2Volume of moving object
If the staple cartridge is made small for minimally invasive surgery, then surgical access is improved, but the refilling process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Staples are pre-loaded onto the carrier in the desired configuration before insertion into the cartridge. The carrier is designed with pre-formed staple pockets that hold multiple staples in readiness. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming assembly during the refilling process, allowing quick cartridge replacement during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The sled is designed to automatically advance and eject staples from the carrier pockets through a simple linear motion. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex manual manipulation or additional actuation steps, significantly reducing the time required for the refilling process while maintaining the compact cartridge design.
3Volume of moving object
If the staple cartridge is made small, then surgical access is improved, but the risk of improper loading and misfires increases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier pockets are designed with asymmetric features including a flat surface on one side and a curved surface on the other, along with specific engagement protrusions. This asymmetric geometry ensures that staples can only be loaded in the correct orientation, preventing improper loading. The sled's engagement features are also asymmetric to match the carrier pockets, ensuring reliable staple ejection and firing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the sled's linear movement along the rails provides tactile and visual confirmation of proper cartridge loading. The engagement between the sled's ejection features and the carrier's staple pockets creates a positive stop that indicates correct positioning. This feedback ensures that only properly loaded cartridges can be actuated, preventing misfires while maintaining the compact design necessary for minimally invasive surgery.
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 device enhances the efficiency of staple deployment and secure tissue fastening, reducing the risk of misfires and improving the ease of refilling cartridges, thereby improving the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of D-shaped, plastically deformable staples, each staple being configured to rotate in a first direction into tissue engaged between the first and second jaws
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods are provided for stabilizing fasteners post-deployment. Devices and methods are also provided for facilitating ejection of surgical fasteners from a cartridge. Devices and methods are also provided for guiding surgical fasteners. Devices and methods are also provided for facilitating closing and clamping of an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for securing fasteners and adjunct materials to tissue. Devices and methods are also provided for removably coupling a cartridge to an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for locking a surgical device based on loading of a fastener cartridge in the surgical device. Devices and methods are provided for adjusting a tissue gap of an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for manually retracting a drive shaft, drive beam, and associated components.