Sloped Staple Deck for Varying Tissue Compression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical staplers face challenges in varying tissue compression effectively, which can lead to inconsistent stapling and cutting results.

Innovation Solution

The surgical stapler incorporates a sloped staple deck in the cartridge housing, which provides varying tissue compression across its width, optimizing tissue engagement and stabilization during stapling and cutting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If uniform tissue compression is applied across the entire staple deck, then consistent stapling is achieved, but over-compression occurs at the edges leading to tissue damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestapling consistencyVSAvoidedge over-compression damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The staple deck is designed with a sloped configuration where the central portion has a different compression characteristic than the edge portions. This creates local quality variations in the tissue engagement surface, allowing optimal compression at the center while reducing compression at the edges to prevent damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The staple deck features an asymmetric sloped geometry rather than a uniform flat surface. The slope creates varying compression forces across the width of the deck, with the highest compression at the center and progressively less toward the edges, matching the natural compression distribution needed for different tissue regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Manufacturing precision

If high tissue compression is applied near the knife slot for effective cutting, then cutting quality improves, but excessive compression destabilizes tissue at the deck edges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting qualityVSAvoidtissue stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The sloped staple deck creates localized compression zones where high compression is concentrated near the knife slot for precise cutting, while the edges provide lower compression to maintain tissue stability and prevent destabilization during the cutting process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If a flat staple deck is used, then simple manufacturing is achieved, but inconsistent tissue engagement occurs across the width

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeck manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidtissue engagement consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The staple deck incorporates a curved or sloped surface geometry instead of a flat plane. This curvature varies the compression force distribution across the deck width, improving tissue engagement consistency while maintaining manufacturability through standard forming processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS12232725B2Surgical stapler with sloped staple deck for varying tissue compression

Publication Date: 2025.02.25 CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL

AI summary

A cartridge for use with a surgical instrument includes a curved body and a deck defined by the curved body and configured to clamp tissue against an anvil. A plurality of staple openings is formed in the deck and is configured to house a plurality of staples. An arcuate slot is formed in the deck and is configured to slidably receive a cutting member therethrough. The deck includes a sloped deck portion that slopes away from the arcuate slot in a direction transverse to a length of the arcuate slot. The sloped deck portion is configured to provide varied compression of tissue across a width of the deck.