Staple Cartridge Guide Surfaces for Consistent Staple Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional surgical staplers face challenges in accommodating a wide range of tissue thicknesses, leading to issues such as poorly formed staples, high firing loads, and the need for precise anvil pocket alignment, which can result in necrosis, bleeding, or poor staple retention due to buckling and misalignment.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of arbors or staple forming surfaces within the staple cartridge that curl staple legs upon exiting, eliminating the need for anvil pockets and reducing the reliance on precise alignment, allowing for a single stapler to accommodate various cartridge reloads and reducing firing forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional anvil pockets are used for staple formation, then staple bending can be achieved, but precise alignment between anvil pockets and staple rows is required, increasing device complexity and reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestaple formation reliabilityVSAvoidalignment precision requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the staple formation function from the anvil assembly and relocates it to the cartridge assembly. By incorporating forming surfaces directly into the cartridge, the system eliminates the need for precise alignment between separate anvil pockets and staple rows, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable staple formation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the staple formation function with the cartridge assembly by integrating forming surfaces into the cartridge body. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate anvil pockets and their associated alignment requirements, simplifying the overall system while ensuring consistent staple formation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Strength

If high firing forces are applied to drive staples through tissue, then staples can be formed, but tissue damage occurs leading to necrosis and bleeding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestaple formation capabilityVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the staple legs against the forming surfaces in the cartridge before the staples engage with the tissue. This preliminary bending reduces the force required during the actual stapling process, minimizing tissue damage while still achieving proper staple formation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The forming surfaces in the cartridge act as a cushioning mechanism that gradually bends the staple legs before they reach the tissue. This staged formation process distributes the forming force over a longer period, reducing peak forces that would otherwise cause tissue damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional staplers are designed for specific tissue thicknesses, then staple formation is optimized for that thickness, but the stapler cannot accommodate varying tissue thicknesses without modification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestaple formation precisionVSAvoidtissue thickness accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves universality by designing the cartridge assembly with forming surfaces that can accommodate multiple tissue thicknesses. The forming surfaces are configured to work with staples of varying lengths, allowing a single stapler design to handle different tissue thicknesses without requiring modifications to the anvil or cartridge structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

This approach ensures consistent staple formation across varying tissue thicknesses, reduces firing loads, and eliminates the need for complex modularity, enhancing the versatility and efficiency of surgical staplers.

Implementation Method 1

two or more guide surfaces in the staple pocket disposed adjacent the opening, wherein the guide surfaces are configured to deform the first leg of the unformed staple as the first leg exits the staple pocket at the opening during a firing of the unformed staple

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12471920B1Staple cartridge containing forming surfaces that bend staple legs upon exiting

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL

AI summary

A staple cartridge including: a cartridge body; a staple pocket in the cartridge body, the staple pocket having an opening and containing an unformed staple including a first leg and a second leg, the staple pocket containing the first leg and the second leg of the unformed staple in an unfired position; and two or more guide surfaces in the staple pocket disposed adjacent the opening, wherein the guide surfaces are configured to deform the first leg of the unformed staple as the first leg exits the staple pocket at the opening during a firing of the unformed staple.