Surgical Stapler Distal Alignment Band for Buttress Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical stapling systems face challenges in aligning and securing buttress materials effectively, particularly during procedures like sleeve gastrectomy, where multiple cartridges are used, leading to misalignment and overfiring issues.

Innovation Solution

The surgical stapling apparatus incorporates an end effector with an anvil and cartridge assembly, each featuring a distal alignment band that extends beyond the body, secured by sutures, to facilitate precise alignment and securement of buttresses along the staple line, preventing overfiring and ensuring continuity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If multiple cartridges are used in surgical stapling procedures, then the coverage area increases, but alignment precision deteriorates leading to misalignment and overfiring issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidalignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The distal alignment band is pre-formed as an integral part of the cartridge assembly, extending beyond the cartridge body to provide a reference feature before the stapling procedure begins. This preliminary structural feature ensures that when multiple cartridges are used, each cartridge can be pre-aligned with the previous one through the extending band, preventing misalignment and overfiring issues while maintaining coverage area expansion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The distal alignment band acts as an intermediary element between multiple cartridges. It extends beyond the cartridge body to engage with or reference the previous cartridge's alignment features, serving as a mediator that transfers alignment information across cartridge boundaries. This intermediary structure enables precise alignment across multiple cartridges without requiring complex active alignment mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If buttress materials are added to reinforce staple lines, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases due to additional securement requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestaple line reinforcementVSAvoidsecurement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The buttress material is merged with the cartridge assembly by securing it to the distal alignment band and cartridge body. This integration combines the reinforcement function of the buttress with the structural framework of the cartridge, allowing the buttress to be deployed as a unified component rather than a separate element requiring independent attachment procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The distal alignment band serves multiple functions: it provides alignment reference for sequential cartridge placement, serves as an attachment substrate for securing the buttress material, and maintains structural integrity during deployment. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate alignment and securement mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11653919B2Stapler line reinforcement continuity

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

An end effector of a surgical stapling apparatus includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly. The anvil assembly has an anvil body that supports an anvil buttress. The anvil buttress includes a distal alignment band that extends distally beyond the anvil body. The cartridge assembly has a cartridge body that supports a cartridge buttress. The cartridge buttress includes a distal alignment band that extends distally beyond the cartridge body.