Hydraulic Staple Cartridge for Uniform Tissue Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling instruments face challenges in evenly distributing force across tissues with varying densities, which can lead to tissue damage or uneven staple formation, particularly during endoscopic procedures where precise control is crucial.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a hydraulic staple drive system with expandable balloons and a deformable deck in the staple cartridge, which uses pressurized fluid to drive staples evenly and limits the expansion force to prevent tissue damage, combined with a pressure relief mechanism to maintain optimal force levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional mechanical staple drive systems are used, then the device structure is simple, but the force distribution across tissues of varying densities is uneven, leading to tissue damage or uneven staple formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydraulic drive system where a plunger compresses fluid in a barrel, generating pressure that acts on a deformable deck to drive staples uniformly through tissue. The fluid medium transmits force evenly across all staple positions, resolving the issue of uneven force distribution while maintaining controlled staple formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable deck changes its physical state from uncompressed to compressed under fluid pressure, allowing it to adapt to tissues of varying densities. This parameter change enables the deck to maintain consistent contact and force distribution across the tissue surface, ensuring uniform staple formation regardless of tissue heterogeneity.
2Productivity
If high expansion force is used to drive staples through dense tissue, then staple deployment is effective, but tissue damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system incorporates a feedback mechanism where the resistance encountered by the deformable deck during tissue compression is transmitted back through the fluid to the plunger. This allows the operator to sense tissue density variations and adjust the compression force in real-time, ensuring sufficient staple deployment while preventing excessive force that would cause tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable deck dynamically adapts its compression force based on tissue characteristics. As the deck compresses tissue, it deforms to match the tissue surface topology, automatically distributing force according to local tissue density. This dynamic adaptation ensures effective staple formation in dense areas while reducing force in more vulnerable areas.
3Ease of operation
If an external fluid source is required for hydraulic operation, then precise force control is achieved, but the device complexity and operational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument generates its own hydraulic fluid pressure through an integrated plunger-barrel mechanism operated by the surgeon. The plunger moves within the barrel to compress fluid, creating the necessary pressure without requiring external fluid sources or complex pump systems. This self-contained approach maintains precise force control while simplifying the overall system architecture.
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
This solution ensures consistent and controlled staple formation across tissues of varying densities, reducing the risk of tissue damage and maintaining efficient staple deployment, while also allowing for the use of the surgical instrument without an external fluid source.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic staple drive system with expandable balloons... uses pressurized fluid to drive staples evenly
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a body assembly, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector has first and second jaws that are configured to receive a tissue therebetween. The end effector also includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a hydraulic expandable member that is configured to receive a fluid and thereby expand from a contracted state to an expanded state. The hydraulic expandable member is further configured to direct at least one of the plurality of staples toward an anvil of the first jaw for forcing the at least one of the staples against the anvil and forming the at least one of the staples within the tissue.