Surgical Stapler Loading Assembly for Preloaded Buttress Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling devices face challenges in efficiently integrating a single piece buttress with the cartridge to streamline the loading process and providing consistent tissue compression regardless of tissue thickness, which can lead to tissue trauma and migration.
Innovation Solution
A loading assembly with a cartridge and carrier system that includes a platform and shell, allowing for a flexible buttress attachment and variable tissue compression through the interaction of knobs and protrusions, ensuring secure placement and minimizing tissue movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If buttress material is manually attached to the surgical stapling apparatus in the operating room, then the reinforcement and coverage functions are achieved, but the surgical procedure time is increased and the process complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The buttress material is pre-loaded onto the cartridge assembly before the surgical procedure begins. The loading assembly allows the buttress to be预先 positioned and secured to the cartridge with attachment features (protrusions, recesses, adhesives, or mechanical interlocks) already in place, eliminating the need for manual attachment during surgery and reducing procedural time
2Device complexity
If non-variable tissue compression is applied during stapling, then the device structure is simple, but tissue trauma occurs due to inconsistent compression force across different tissue thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The compression mechanism transitions from a static, fixed-compression design to a dynamic system where the anvil assembly can pivot relative to the cartridge assembly. This creates a clamping action that adapts to varying tissue thicknesses, applying appropriate compression force automatically based on the tissue being stapled, thereby preventing both under-compression and over-compression trauma
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the compression parameter dynamically by allowing the anvil assembly to pivot, which alters the clamping force applied to the tissue. This parameter change enables the same device to accommodate different tissue thicknesses without requiring multiple fixed-compression settings or complex adjustable mechanisms
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the anvil assembly is made movable relative to the cartridge assembly to provide variable compression, then tissue trauma is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil assembly is designed to pivot relative to the cartridge assembly along a hinge axis, creating a simple yet effective dynamic clamping mechanism. This single degree of freedom movement allows the system to adapt to varying tissue thicknesses while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, avoiding the need for complex multi-axis adjustments or automated compression control systems
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A loading assembly includes a cartridge having a cartridge body with rows of staple pockets. A carrier includes a platform adapted to releasably retain the cartridge. A shell is laterally spaced from the platform and flexibly coupled thereto. The arm extends through the shell at an acute angle and the shell has a passage that is configured to receive a jaw member of a surgical stapling instrument therethrough. A surgical buttress has a distal region with a first orifice and a cutout and a proximal region with a second orifice. The first orifice is attachable to a peg located in a distal region of the shell and the second orifice is attachable to a post located in a distal region of the cartridge such that a portion of the surgical buttress extends through the passage of the shell. The cutout is configured to receive an arm of the platform therethrough.