Surgical Stapler Locking Member Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical stapling devices face challenges in maintaining the alignment and gap distance between the anvil and cartridge assemblies during firing, leading to potential deflection and improper staple formation.
Innovation Solution
A tool assembly with a locking member that is movably supported on the cartridge assembly and configured to engage with slots on the anvil, ensuring a consistent gap distance between the anvil and cartridge assemblies, thereby maintaining alignment and preventing deflection during staple firing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a knife bar is provided to engage the anvil assembly and staple cartridge to minimize deflection during firing, then the structural stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into separate components: a locking member with latch arms that can independently engage with slots on the anvil assembly. This segmentation allows the stability function to be achieved without requiring a complex knife bar structure, as each latch arm independently contributes to preventing deflection during firing.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between locked and unlocked states. The latch arms can move to engage or disengage from the slots dynamically, providing structural stability only when needed during firing, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining stability during critical operations.
2Ease of operation
If the staple cartridge and anvil assembly are made movable between open and clamped positions, then the ease of operation is improved, but the alignment precision deteriorates due to potential deflection during firing
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member engages with the slots on the anvil assembly before firing occurs, pre-establishing the correct alignment and gap distance. This preliminary locking action ensures that when firing takes place, the staple cartridge and anvil assembly maintain precise alignment without deflection, thus preserving manufacturing precision while allowing easy operation during positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member acts as an intermediary between the staple cartridge and anvil assembly, maintaining the correct gap distance and alignment through its latch arms engaged in the slots. This intermediary mechanism ensures precise alignment is maintained during firing without restricting the ease of operation for opening and closing the assemblies.
3Manufacturing precision
If the locking member is movably supported on the cartridge assembly to set gap distance, then the alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the gap distance setting, maintains alignment, and prevents deflection during firing. By merging these functions into one movably supported component rather than separate mechanisms, the alignment precision is improved without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member serves multiple purposes: it sets the gap distance, maintains alignment precision, and provides structural stability during firing through its latch arms. This multi-functionality allows a single component to achieve precise alignment without requiring additional separate mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool assembly includes an anvil and a cartridge assembly movable from an open position to a closed position, and a locking member movably supported on a distal portion of the cartridge assembly. The locking member is configured to move into a slot of the anvil as the anvil and cartridge assembly move toward the closed position to set a gap distance between the anvil and cartridge assembly.