Rotatable Staple Ejection for Endoscopic Suturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical staplers for endoscopic use are limited by their large diameter, making them unsuitable for suturing thicker tissues, and there is a need for a smaller diameter tool assembly that can effectively suture thicker tissues.

Innovation Solution

A surgical stapler with a tool assembly featuring a cartridge and anvil configuration that allows for the rotatable ejection of staples, where each staple is supported by a pusher that drives the staple into the anvil to deform it into a D-shaped configuration, enabling the stapler to suture thicker tissues with a small diameter tool assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If a small diameter tool assembly is used for endoscopic use, then the stapler is suitable for minimally invasive procedures, but it cannot suture thicker tissues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediameter of tool assemblyVSAvoidability to suture thicker tissues

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The staple is nested within the pusher assembly, with the pusher housing containing the staple and guiding its ejection. This nested configuration allows the staple mechanism to be compact while maintaining the functionality to suture thicker tissues, resolving the contradiction between small diameter and tissue suturing capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The staple ejection mechanism transitions from a traditional linear perpendicular ejection to a rotatable ejection where the staple is driven at an angle into the anvil. This dimensional change in the ejection trajectory allows the small diameter tool assembly to achieve effective tissue suturing by optimizing the staple deformation path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If staples are ejected perpendicular to the tissue contact surface, then the ejection mechanism is simple, but the tool assembly diameter becomes too large for endoscopic use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of ejection mechanismVSAvoiddiameter of tool assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The ejection mechanism is made dynamic through the rotatable pusher assembly. The pusher rotates to drive the staple into the anvil at an angled trajectory rather than maintaining a fixed perpendicular ejection path. This dynamic adjustment reduces the required tool assembly diameter while maintaining effective staple deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The staple is pre-positioned within the pusher housing in a compact configuration before ejection. The pusher assembly prepares the staple for angled ejection by holding it in readiness, allowing the mechanism to achieve effective tissue suturing with a smaller diameter tool assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11490893B2Endoscopic stapler and staple

Publication Date: 2022.11.08 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

A surgical stapler has a tool assembly including an anvil and a staple cartridge having a series of staples which are supported and configured to be rotatably ejected from the staple cartridge into the anvil to suture tissue. In embodiments, the surgical stapler includes a cartridge that supports a plurality of rotatable pushers. Each pusher supports a curved, substantially U-shaped staple having a single tissue penetrating distal leg portion and a proximal leg portion. The pusher is rotatable to drive the distal leg portion into an anvil to deform the staple into a substantially D-shaped configuration.