Surgical Stapling Apparatus Buttress Release Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing endoscopic surgical stapling devices face challenges in effectively sealing and reinforcing thin or fragile tissues, particularly in preventing air or fluid leakage and tissue tears, as they lack a reliable mechanism for securing a buttress material during the stapling process.

Innovation Solution

A surgical stapling apparatus with a detachable loading unit that includes a tool assembly with a cartridge and anvil assembly, where a surgical buttress is releasably secured to a tissue-contacting surface using anchors, and a release assembly is actuated to free the buttress from the apparatus, ensuring secure attachment and easy removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a buttress material is attached to the stapling apparatus to reinforce the staple line, then the sealing and reinforcement effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional attachment and release mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing and reinforcement effectivenessVSAvoidattachment and release mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The buttress material is pre-attached to the anvil or cartridge assembly before the stapling procedure. The release mechanism is pre-configured to automatically detach the buttress after firing, eliminating the need for manual removal and reducing intraoperative complexity while maintaining reliable reinforcement during the procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The release assembly is designed to automatically detach the buttress material from the anvil or cartridge assembly after the stapling operation is complete. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual removal by the surgeon, reducing procedural complexity while ensuring reliable attachment during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If a detachable loading unit with buttress is used in endoscopic procedures, then the ease of replacement post-firing is improved, but the reliability of securing the buttress during the procedure may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of replacement post-firingVSAvoidsecuring the buttress during the procedure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stapling apparatus is divided into modular components: a reusable handle assembly and a disposable loading unit that includes the anvil, cartridge, and attached buttress material. This segmentation allows the entire loading unit to be replaced after a single use, ensuring ease of replacement while maintaining reliable buttress securing during the procedure through the integrated design of the disposable unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The loading unit including the buttress material is designed as a disposable component that is attached to the apparatus immediately prior to surgery and removed after use. This disposable approach ensures ease of replacement post-firing while maintaining reliable buttress securing during the procedure, as each disposable unit is freshly prepared and sterilized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Strength

If the buttress material is securely attached using anchors, then the reliability of preventing tissue tears is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the release assembly requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of tissue tearsVSAvoidrelease assembly requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The release assembly extracts or removes the buttress material from the anvil or cartridge assembly after the stapling procedure. This extraction mechanism is integrated into the disposable loading unit, allowing for simple removal of the used buttress without complicating the overall device structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2430986B1Surgical stapling apparatus

Publication Date: 2021.06.02 COVIDIEN LP

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A

AI summary

A loading unit for use with a surgical stapling apparatus, the loading unit comprising: a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge and an anvil assembly, at least one of the cartridge assembly and the anvil assembly being movable in relation to the other assembly, the anvil assembly includes an anvil plate and, each of the anvil plate and the staple cartridge define an elongate longitudinal slot; a surgical buttress releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of at least one of the anvil plate and the staple cartridge, wherein each surgical buttress is secured by at least one anchor wherein at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly includes a constricting, open-ended, side slot configured to grip an end of the anchor; a release assembly associated with the at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly; and a drive assembly slidably translatable through the tool assembly, the drive assembly actuating the release assembly to release the anchor to free the surgical buttress from the at least one of the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly, characterized in that the release assembly is configured to push the end of the anchor out of the side slot, upon a distal advancement of the drive assembly.