Surgical Stapler Sled Cartridge Wall Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical staplers lack a mechanism to effectively support and stabilize the staple cartridge walls during clamping and firing, leading to misalignment of staple apertures with forming pockets, which affects the sealing and sealing integrity of stapled tissue.
Innovation Solution
A wedge sled with a cartridge wall support feature and multiple surface finishes is introduced, providing rigidity to the staple cartridge by stabilizing its walls and promoting alignment between staple apertures and forming pockets through inclined cam surfaces and chamfers, ensuring proper alignment and sealing of staples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional surgical stapler design is used without cartridge wall support feature, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision of staple aperture alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge wall support feature is implemented as a distinct segmented structure with multiple components including the support feature itself, cam surfaces, and chamfers. This segmentation allows each component to be precisely manufactured and positioned to ensure proper alignment between staple apertures and forming pockets, resolving the alignment precision issue without requiring complete redesign of the entire cartridge.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge wall support feature performs preliminary alignment actions during the clamping phase before firing. The cam surfaces and chamfers are designed to promote alignment between staple apertures and forming pockets in advance, ensuring that when staples are driven, they are properly aligned for effective sealing. This preliminary alignment action resolves the manufacturing precision issue.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cartridge wall support feature is added to stabilize staple cartridge walls, then stability of staple cartridge improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge wall support feature is merged with the existing cartridge structure, integrating support functionality into the cartridge body itself. The support feature includes cam surfaces and chamfers that are combined with the cartridge wall structure, providing stabilization without requiring entirely separate components. This merging approach improves stability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge wall support feature serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stabilizes the cartridge walls, promotes alignment between staple apertures and forming pockets, and guides the stapling action. This multi-functionality means that a single added feature addresses multiple issues, improving stability without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If wedge sled with cart dge wall support feature is used, then reliability of tissue sealing improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge sled with cartridge wall support feature performs preliminary alignment actions during the clamping phase before tissue sealing. The cam surfaces and chamfers promote proper alignment between staple apertures and forming pockets in advance, ensuring that when staples are driven through the tissue, they are correctly positioned for reliable sealing. This preliminary action significantly improves sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge sled structure is segmented with distinct functional areas including the cartridge wall support feature, cam surfaces, and chamfers. This segmentation allows each element to contribute specifically to alignment and sealing reliability, with the support feature stabilizing the cartridge and promoting proper staple formation. The segmented design improves reliability by ensuring each critical function is performed by a dedicated structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A staple driver actuator for a surgical stapler includes a base having at least one bottom surface. The bottom surface defines a plane and is configured to slide longitudinally relative to a jaw of the surgical stapler. The staple driver actuator also includes a plurality of rails extending upwardly from the base. Each of the plurality of rails includes at least one cam surface, and each of the cam surfaces is inclined relative to the plane. The plurality of rails includes a laterally-opposed pair of outer rails and a laterally-opposed pair of inner rails. The staple driver actuator further includes a distal nose extending distally from at least a portion of the base and having at least one ledge surface. The ledge surface faces upwardly, is parallel to the plane, and is at least partially positioned distally relative to each of the outer and inner rails.