Pivotable Stop Member for Tissue Retention in Surgical Staplers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling instruments face challenges in effectively approximating jaw members and maintaining tissue in place during stapling and cutting procedures, leading to potential tissue migration and inefficient fastening.
Innovation Solution
The surgical instrument incorporates a pivotable stop member with a biasing mechanism and a sled system with cam wedges, allowing for precise tissue retention and approximation of jaw members, facilitating the placement and cutting of tissue between the stapling rows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional surgical stapling instrument is used without a stop member, then the structure is simpler, but tissue migration occurs and jaw approximation is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is positioned in advance within the jaw member to pre-establish a tissue retention barrier before the stapling operation begins. This preliminary positioning prevents tissue migration during the approximation process, ensuring consistent jaw contact and reliable stapling without requiring complex active control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member acts as an intermediary element between the jaw member and the tissue. It provides a physical barrier that mediates the interaction between the moving jaw and the tissue, preventing direct contact that would cause tissue migration while maintaining the simplicity of the overall instrument structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If the jaw members are approximated without a stop member, then the operation is faster, but tissue migration occurs and stapling accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is pre-positioned in the jaw member before tissue approximation begins. This preliminary setup establishes the correct stopping point and tissue retention barrier in advance, allowing the surgeon to approximate the jaws quickly without worrying about tissue migration, thereby maintaining both speed and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member provides self-guiding functionality during jaw approximation. As the moving jaw approaches the stationary jaw, the stop member automatically engages to prevent over-compression and tissue migration, eliminating the need for complex active control systems or additional time-consuming adjustment procedures.
3Reliability
If a stop member is added to prevent tissue migration, then tissue retention improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw member is segmented into functional zones: the stop member is integrated as a distinct component within the jaw structure, separating the tissue retention function from the approximation function. This segmentation allows the stop member to be a simple, standalone element that can be easily manufactured and installed without complicating the overall jaw member design.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member serves as a simple intermediary element that can be integrated into the existing jaw member design with minimal modification. It provides the necessary tissue retention function through a straightforward geometric feature rather than a complex mechanism, maintaining the simplicity of the overall device while improving reliability.
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 solution enhances tissue retention and stapling efficiency by ensuring consistent approximation of jaw members and preventing tissue migration, thereby improving the accuracy and effectiveness of surgical fastening procedures.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing member may be provided and disposed in mechanical cooperation with the stop member, wherein the biasing member biases stop member towards its first position
Implementation Method 2
The sled can include a plurality of cam wedges, and wherein each cam wedge is connected to an adjacent cam wedge by a transversely-disposed connecting member
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument including a handle assembly, an elongated portion, an end effector, and a stop member is disclosed. The end effector is disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion and includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. At least one jaw member is movable with respect to the other jaw member between spaced and approximated positions. The first jaw member includes an upper tissue-contacting surface and a lower shelf portion. The shelf portion includes a groove disposed therein. The stop member is disposed adjacent a distal portion of the first jaw member and is pivotable with respect to the first jaw member between a first position, a significant portion of the stop member being positioned external to the first jaw member, and a second position where a lower portion of the stop member being positioned at least partially within the groove.