Displaceable Adjunct Attachment Features for Surgical Staplers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical staplers lack an effective mechanism to securely attach and detach adjuncts, such as buttress assemblies, during the stapling process, which can lead to incomplete tissue reinforcement and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
The surgical stapler incorporates movable members, such as pins, bristle clusters, bi-modal features, and protrusions, that are configured to securely attach and detach adjuncts from the staple cartridge deck during the firing operation, ensuring reliable tissue reinforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical staplers are used without adjunct attachment mechanisms, then the device structure remains simple, but tissue reinforcement is incomplete and complications may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The adjunct attachment mechanism is segmented into separate movable members (pins, bristle clusters, bi-modal features, protrusions) that can independently engage with the adjunct. This allows the complex function of secure attachment to be divided into multiple simple, modular components that attach to different locations on the adjunct, achieving reliable tissue reinforcement without requiring a monolithic complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The stapler device is enhanced with multi-functional capabilities by incorporating adjunct attachment features that serve multiple purposes: securing the adjunct to the stapler, positioning the adjunct relative to the tissue, and enabling the adjunct to provide tissue reinforcement. This universal approach allows a single device to perform both stapling and adjunct-mediated reinforcement functions
2Reliability
If movable members are added to secure adjunct attachment, then adjunct attachment reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable members (pins, bristle clusters, bi-modal features, protrusions) are designed as simple, potentially disposable components that are integrated into or attached with the stapler. These inexpensive elements provide reliable adjunct attachment during the surgical procedure and can be discarded with the stapler after use, eliminating the need for complex, expensive, reusable attachment mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes an adjunct body and a plurality of movable members. The adjunct body defines an adjunct surface for contacting a tissue, and the adjunct body is configured to overlie and directly contact a deck of a surgical stapler. The plurality of movable members are coupled with the adjunct body, and each movable member of the plurality of movable members is individually operable to move from a first configuration to a second configuration in response to a firing operation of a surgical stapler. The movable members in the first configuration are configured to couple the adjunct body with the deck, and the movable members in the second configuration are configured to enable the adjunct body to separate from the deck.