Surgical Stapler Jaw Hook-Loop Fastener for Reinforcement Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapler instruments face issues with excess material removal and unreliable detachment of staple line reinforcement materials, leading to inefficiencies in surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling instrument with a fastener system comprising hooks and loops, where the staple line reinforcement material is pre-attached using adhesive sheets with hooks on the instrument's jaws, ensuring reliable retention and easy release, utilizing materials with a glass transition temperature near human body temperature for enhanced detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If staple line reinforcement material is attached to the surgical instrument working surface, then the material is retained on the instrument during surgery, but excess material must be removed when the instrument is withdrawn
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument working surface has different surface properties in different regions: the staple forming region has a relatively smooth surface, while the peripheral regions have increased surface roughness. This local quality differentiation allows the staple line reinforcement material to be selectively retained only in the peripheral regions where it is needed, while minimizing excess material that would require removal.
2Ease of manufacture
If staple line reinforcement material is attached using adhesive, then the material can be easily applied, but the detachment reliability is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The working surface exhibits local quality variations in surface roughness, creating regions with different adhesive properties. This allows the attachment method to be simple (adhesive-based) while achieving reliable detachment in specific regions where the surface roughness promotes controlled release of the staple line reinforcement material.
3Productivity
If the surgical instrument is packaged with staple line reinforcement already installed, then surgical procedure time is reduced, but the instrument complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staple line reinforcement material is pre-attached to the surgical instrument working surface during manufacturing, before the instrument reaches the surgical site. This preliminary action eliminates the need for separate attachment steps during surgery, reducing procedural time. The surface roughness feature is integrated into the instrument design, adding minimal complexity while enabling this pre-configuration capability.
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 allows for minimal excess material and reliable retention of staple line reinforcement on the instrument during surgery, facilitating efficient surgical procedures with reduced post-surgical cleanup and improved tissue handling.
Implementation Method 1
The adhesive material is selected so as to maintain the sheet attached to the at least one tissue contacting surface as the instrument is removed from a surgical site
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical stapler instrument has surgical stapler jaws, at least one staple line reinforcement material, and a fastener including a hook and a loop. The hook can be disposed on one of the surgical stapler jaws and the loop can be disposed on the staple line reinforcement material. Alternatively, the hook can be disposed on the staple line reinforcement material and the look on one of the surgical stapler jaws.