Segmented Surgical Anvil Assembly for Consistent Staple Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling and cutting instruments face challenges in efficiently stapling and cutting tissue due to issues with staple cartridge management, anvil design, and firing member mechanics, leading to inconsistent tissue compression and staple formation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a surgical stapling system with an improved anvil configuration and firing member mechanism that includes a staple cartridge with elastic spine assembly and a firing member with cam surfaces to control tissue gap and staple formation, ensuring consistent staple deployment and tissue cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional anvil manufacturing methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and consistency of staple formation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is divided into a body portion and a separate cap portion that are selectively assembled together. The cap portion includes a distinct surface portion that forms the anvil surface, allowing this critical surface to be manufactured with high precision independently and then attached to the anvil body, thereby achieving both manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture.
2Manufacturing precision
If tissue compression is increased to improve staple formation consistency, then staple formation quality improves, but stress concentrations in the anvil increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil surface is designed with specific local geometric features including a radius of curvature in the longitudinal direction and a different radius of curvature in the transverse direction. These localized surface characteristics optimize tissue compression distribution, ensuring consistent staple formation while preventing excessive stress concentrations in any single area of the anvil.
3Manufacturing precision
If anvil surface geometry is modified to improve staple formation, then staple deployment consistency improves, but anvil manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex anvil surface geometry is achieved by separating the surface-forming cap portion from the structural body portion. The cap portion can be manufactured with precise geometric features including controlled radii of curvature using specialized processes, while the body portion maintains structural integrity. This segmentation allows complex surface geometry without proportionally increasing overall anvil manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anvil is constructed as a composite structure with a body portion and a cap portion that can be made from the same or different materials. This allows the cap surface to be optimized for staple formation with specific geometric properties while the body provides structural support, achieving both staple deployment consistency and manageable device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a surgical stapling anvil is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of manufacturing a first anvil member and a second anvil member. The first anvil member comprises a tissue-facing surface comprising a plurality of staple forming pockets defined therein and a longitudinal cavity comprising anvil ledges configured to be engaged by anvil-camming portions of a firing member of a surgical stapling instrument. The method further comprises the steps of polishing the ledges of the first anvil member and welding the first anvil member and the second anvil member together.