Pivotable Tissue Stop Member for Surgical Stapler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling instruments lack an efficient mechanism to securely hold and position tissue during stapling and cutting procedures, leading to potential tissue displacement and incomplete fastening.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument featuring a stop member that is pivotable between two positions, with a biasing mechanism to capture and retain tissue between jaw members, ensuring precise tissue positioning and preventing distal migration during stapling and cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a stop member is added to secure tissue during stapling, then tissue positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is nested within the jaw structure, specifically integrated into the anvil assembly. The stop member includes a body portion that fits within the anvil and a protruding portion that extends to contact tissue, allowing it to be stored within the instrument when not in use and deployed when needed, thus adding functionality without significantly increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member is positioned in advance within the anvil assembly, ready to engage tissue before the stapling action occurs. The protruding portion is pre-configured to contact and prevent distal movement of tissue, ensuring proper positioning is established before staples are driven, thereby improving positioning precision without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If the stop member is made pivotable to facilitate tissue insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of tissue capture may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is designed with pivotability, allowing it to rotate between a retracted position (facilitating tissue insertion) and an engaged position (securing tissue). This dynamic capability enables the stop member to adapt its configuration based on operational requirements, improving ease of operation while maintaining tissue capture reliability through controlled positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable stop member acts as an intermediary element between the rigid anvil structure and the flexible tissue. By allowing rotational movement, it mediates between the need for structural stability and the need for ease of tissue manipulation, enabling smooth tissue insertion while ensuring reliable capture when engaged
3Reliability
If the stop member extends significantly external to the jaw, then tissue capture effectiveness is improved, but device compactness worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The stop member is designed to nest within the anvil assembly when not in use, with only the necessary protruding portion extending externally to contact tissue. This nesting arrangement minimizes the external volume occupied by the stop member while maintaining sufficient protrusion length to effectively capture and secure tissue during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The stop member features a localized protruding portion that extends externally only where needed for tissue contact, while the main body remains compact and integrated within the anvil. This localized extension provides effective tissue capture capability without requiring the entire stop member to be large, thus maintaining device compactness while improving tissue capture effectiveness
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 stop member effectively secures tissue between the jaw members, facilitating precise stapling and cutting by preventing tissue displacement and ensuring complete fastening, enhancing the reliability of surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member disposed in mechanical cooperation with the stop member, wherein the biasing member biases stop member towards its first position
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical including a handle assembly, an elongated portion, an end effector, and a stop member is disclosed. The elongated portion extends distally from the handle assembly. 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 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 capturing the tissue between the first jaw member and second jaw member.