Reusable Endocutter Feeder Belt for Continuous Stapling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical staplers, such as endocutters, face challenges in efficiency and convenience due to the need to frequently exchange cartridges and reinsert the device during minimally invasive procedures, leading to increased time and complexity in surgical site relocation.

Innovation Solution

The endocutter design incorporates a feeder belt with multiple rows of staples that can be reused without removing the device from the patient, allowing for continuous stapling without cartridge exchange, and features a mechanism to maintain the staples in place for repeated use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a disposable single-use cartridge with several rows of staples is used, then the stapler can deploy multiple rows of staples, but the cartridge must be exchanged after each use, requiring removal and reinsertion of the endocutter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of staplesVSAvoidtime for cartridge exchange and site relocation

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge is divided into multiple separate staple rows, each capable of independent deployment. This allows the surgeon to deploy one row of staples and keep the cartridge in place for subsequent rows, eliminating the need to remove and reinsert the endocutter after each staple deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cartridge is designed to remain in the endocutter after deploying one row of staples, enabling continuous deployment of additional staple rows without removal. This maintains the useful action of stapling continuously rather than interrupting for cartridge exchange and site relocation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Ease of manufacture

If the endocutter is removed from the patient after each use to exchange cartridges, then a new cartridge can be installed, but the surgical site must be located again, increasing procedure complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecartridge replaceabilityVSAvoidconvenience of cartridge exchange

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge is segmented into multiple independent staple rows within a single cartridge body. This allows the entire cartridge to remain in place while individual staple rows are deployed sequentially, maintaining ease of cartridge replacement design while improving operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If multiple rows of staples are included in a single cartridge, then fewer cartridge exchanges are needed, but the cartridge and endocutter design becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of staples deployed per cartridgeVSAvoidcartridge structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge contains multiple separate staple rows that are structurally independent but integrated within a single cartridge body. This segmentation allows each row to be deployed independently while maintaining a relatively simple overall cartridge structure that does not require complex mechanisms for multi-row deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9168039B1Surgical stapler with staples of different sizes

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 TOUCHSTONE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL SCIENCE CO LTD

AI summary

One example of a surgical apparatus may include a staple holder; at least one feeder belt fixed to the staple holder; and staples integral with and frangibly separable from the feeder belt; where at least one of the staples is sized differently from at least one other staple.