Segmented Staple Driver Assembly for Circular Surgical Stapler Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circular surgical staplers face issues with accumulated tolerance stacks during manufacturing, leading to misalignment and improper fitting of staple drivers, resulting in malformed staples and ineffective tissue sealing due to excessive friction or blocking of components.
Innovation Solution
The use of independently actuatable staple drivers, formed as segmented bodies, which are individually inserted into respective openings, reduces the accumulated tolerance stack, ensuring a tighter fit and accurate alignment with staple forming pockets, thereby improving staple formation and sealing efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If staple drivers are formed as single integrated bodies, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to accumulated tolerance stacks
Solution Approach 1:
The staple driver is divided into multiple independently actuatable segments, each capable of being inserted and aligned separately into the staple forming pockets. This segmentation eliminates the accumulated tolerance stack problem that would occur with a single integrated body, as each segment can be precisely positioned independently. The segments work together to form complete staples while maintaining high alignment accuracy through their individual precision fitting.
2Manufacturing precision
If staple drivers are made as segmented bodies, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staple driver is divided into multiple independently actuatable segments, each capable of being inserted and aligned separately into the staple forming pockets. This segmentation eliminates the accumulated tolerance stack problem that would occur with a single integrated body, as each segment can be precisely positioned independently. The segments work together to form complete staples while maintaining high alignment accuracy through their individual precision fitting.
3Device complexity
If traditional staple drivers are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to misalignment and improper fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The staple driver is divided into multiple independently actuatable segments, each capable of being inserted and aligned separately into the staple forming pockets. This segmentation eliminates the accumulated tolerance stack problem that would occur with a single integrated body, as each segment can be precisely positioned independently. The segments work together to form complete staples while maintaining high alignment accuracy through their individual precision fitting.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapling instrument includes an anvil defining a plurality of staple forming pockets and a stapling head assembly. The stapling head assembly includes a body, a coupling member capable of actuating the anvil relative to the body, a staple deck defining a plurality of staple openings, and a firing assembly capable of driving a plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil. The firing assembly includes a proximal driving body and an array of discrete staple driving segments positioned distal to the proximal driving body. The proximal driving body is slidably housed within the body. The staple driving segments each have a free proximal end. The proximal driving body is capable of simultaneously actuating the array of staple driving segments to drive the plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil.