Tissue Stapler Thickness Compensator with Hydrophobic Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling instruments face challenges in effectively compensating for varying tissue thicknesses, leading to inconsistent staple formation and potential tissue damage.
Innovation Solution
The development of a surgical stapling instrument with a tissue thickness compensator, which includes a compressible cartridge body and a stapling mechanism that adjusts staple formation based on tissue thickness, ensuring consistent staple deployment across different tissue types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a traditional stapling mechanism is used without thickness compensation, then the device structure remains simple, but staple formation becomes inconsistent across varying tissue thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
A thickness compensator is introduced as an intermediary component between the stapling mechanism and the tissue. This compensator includes a compressible body with variable density regions that adapt to different tissue thicknesses, enabling consistent staple formation without requiring complex adjustments to the stapling mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensator body utilizes variable density parameters throughout its structure, with denser regions for thinner tissue and less dense regions for thicker tissue. This parameter variation allows the same device structure to accommodate different tissue thicknesses while maintaining consistent stapling performance.
2Reliability
If the stapling pressure is increased to ensure secure staples in thicker tissue, then staple reliability improves, but tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compensator body features locally varied density characteristics, with different regions having different compressibility properties. This allows the device to apply appropriate pressure locally - higher pressure where tissue is thinner and lower pressure where tissue is thicker - ensuring reliable staple formation while minimizing tissue damage in each specific location.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a compressible compensator body is used to adapt to varying tissue thicknesses, then staple consistency improves, but the device requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The compensator body is integrated with the staple cartridge assembly, merging the thickness compensation function with the existing stapling mechanism. This integration approach allows the device to gain adaptability to varying tissue thicknesses while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity through unified design.
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
The solution enables consistent and secure staple formation across varying tissue thicknesses, minimizing tissue damage and improving the reliability of surgical stapling procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The compressible body may have a hydrophobic substance, such as a hydrophobic coating or a hydrophobic sealant
Data Source
AI summary
A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapler. The assembly has a cartridge body having a support portion with a plurality of staple cavities with openings. There is also a plurality of staples, wherein at least a portion of each the staple is removably stored within a the staple cavity. Each the staple is movable between an unfired position and a fired position, and is deformable between an unfired configuration and a fired configuration. The assembly also includes a compressible tissue thickness compensator configured to be captured within the staples. The compressible tissue thickness compensator at least partially covers the staple cavity openings. The compressed tissue thickness compensator is configured to assume different compressed heights within different the staples. The compressible tissue thickness compensator comprising a lyophilized foam having a hydrophobic agent embedded therein.