Linear Surgical Stapler Latch Design for Low-Force Tissue Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing linear surgical staplers lack efficient mechanisms for simultaneously clamping, cutting, and stapling tissue layers during gastrointestinal anastomosis procedures, with a focus on improving the clamping and firing assembly to enhance tissue sealing and minimize user input force.
Innovation Solution
A linear surgical stapler with a cartridge half and an anvil half that releasably couple to clamp tissue, featuring a clamp lever, firing assembly, and retaining assembly, which includes a resilient member to bias the clamp lever open and a retaining mechanism to secure the anvil half during firing, allowing for simultaneous cutting and stapling with reduced user force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a traditional linear surgical stapler is used to clamp and fire staples through tissue, then the tissue can be sealed, but the user must apply significant input force to operate the clamp lever and firing mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The stapler is divided into two separate halves (cartridge half and anvil half) that can be coupled together. This segmentation allows the clamping force to be distributed across the tissue layers, reducing the force required by the user to achieve effective clamping and stapling.
Solution Approach 2:
The anvil surface is formed with a curved or non-planar geometry that complements the tissue layers being stapled. This curvature distributes the stapling force more evenly across the tissue, reducing peak forces required and improving ease of operation while maintaining effective tissue sealing.
2Reliability
If the clamp lever is designed to provide strong clamping force, then tissue sealing is improved, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the stapler into cartridge and anvil halves, each component can be optimized for its specific function. The anvil half incorporates the clamping and stapling surfaces, while the cartridge half holds the staples, simplifying the overall mechanism while improving tissue sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved anvil surface naturally distributes clamping force across multiple tissue layers, providing reliable tissue sealing without requiring complex additional mechanisms. The geometry itself contributes to the clamping effectiveness.
3Ease of manufacture
If the stapler uses a simple clamp lever design, then the device is easier to manufacture, but it cannot provide sufficient clamping force for effective stapling
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design allows the clamp lever to be part of a larger system where the anvil half provides additional structural support and force multiplication. This enables effective clamping force with a relatively simple clamp lever mechanism that is easier to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved anvil surface acts as a force-distributing element that amplifies the clamping force generated by the clamp lever. This geometric feature provides mechanical advantage, enabling sufficient clamping force with a simpler, more manufacturable lever 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 stapler effectively seals severed tissue layers with non-planar staples, minimizing user input force and ensuring secure clamping and firing, thereby enhancing the surgical procedure's efficiency and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member configured to bias the clamp lever in the open position
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes first and second elongate members having first and second stapling surfaces and being configured to releasably couple together. A clamp member is movable from a first position to a second position to approximate the stapling surfaces for clamping tissue. A latch member is transitionable from an unlatched state to a latched state to releasably retain the clamp member in the second position. A firing assembly is actuatable from a home position to fire staples into the clamped tissue. The latch member is transitionable from the unlatched state to the latched state when the clamp member is in the second position while the firing assembly is in the home position. The latch member is inhibited from transitioning from the unlatched state to the latched state when the clamp member is in the second position while the firing assembly is displaced from the home position.