Open Linear Stapler Anvil Structure for Easier Insertion and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing open linear staplers have a thick U-shaped anvil that makes insertion into the patient's body difficult and are prone to tissue leakage due to the anvil's movement and improper staple placement.
Innovation Solution
The stapler features a U-shaped stationary jaw with outer anvil clamping plates connected to the anvil, allowing for miniaturization and precise staple placement, with a tissue retaining pin hole offset to reduce leakage risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a U-shaped anvil is used in the existing stapler, then the anvil can provide structural support and staple forming capability, but the stapler becomes too thick and difficult to insert into the patient's body
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is divided into a proximal portion and a distal portion, with the distal portion having a reduced width. This segmentation allows the anvil to maintain structural support where needed while reducing thickness in the insertion direction, enabling easier patient body insertion without compromising overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anvil width is varied along its length, with the distal portion having a smaller width than the proximal portion. This local quality change optimizes the anvil structure by providing full width and support at the proximal end while reducing thickness at the distal end for easier insertion, thus resolving the contradiction between structural support and insertability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the tissue retaining pin hole is located at the topmost end of the anvil, then the anvil structure is simplified, but it becomes unlikely to dispose a staple forming pocket there or arrange a staple at the corresponding position, increasing leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue retaining pin hole is positioned asymmetrically on the anvil surface rather than at the topmost center end. This asymmetric positioning allows both the pin hole and staple forming pockets to be properly arranged, enabling reliable tissue sealing while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple staple forming pockets are arranged on the anvil surface at different positions, including near the tissue retaining pin hole. This copying of the staple forming function to multiple locations ensures that even if one position is suboptimal, other positions can effectively seal the tissue, thereby improving reliability while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
An open linear stapler includes an end effector located at a distal side. The end effector includes a substantially U-shaped stationary jaw located at the distal side and a movable jaw movable relative to the stationary jaw to clamp tissue therebetween. A surface of the stationary jaw opposes the movable jaw and includes an anvil. The movable jaw is configured to receive a staple cartridge. The stationary jaw includes two substantially U-shaped outer anvil clamping plates, and a distal surface of the anvil is fixedly connected to proximal surfaces of the distal ends of the outer anvil clamping plates. The stapler can be more easily inserted into the patient's body and provide a larger free space.