Triple Leg Staples for Thicker Tissue Suturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopic surgical staplers face challenges in suturing thicker tissues due to their limited diameter, requiring staples that can provide varying degrees of compression and efficient tissue handling.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling device with a tool assembly featuring a cartridge and anvil assembly that supports triple leg staples of different lengths, allowing for rotatable ejection and D-shaped deformation, facilitating the use of a reduced-diameter device capable of suturing thicker tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a reduced-diameter tool assembly is used for endoscopic use, then the device can be inserted through small incisions, but the ability to suture thicker tissues is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The staple is divided into three separate legs instead of a single continuous structure. This segmentation allows each leg to independently engage with tissue, providing enhanced gripping capability and compression control within a compact diameter, enabling the reduced-diameter tool assembly to effectively suture thicker tissues
Solution Approach 2:
Each staple leg is designed with different lengths and configurations to provide varying degrees of compression and engagement with tissue at different locations. This local differentiation allows the staple to effectively secure thicker tissue layers despite the limited diameter of the tool assembly
2Adaptability or versatility
If staples of different lengths are used to provide varying compression, then tissue compression control is improved, but the complexity of staple design and cartridge configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staple features three legs of asymmetric lengths, with each leg specifically designed to engage with tissue at different depths and provide tailored compression. This asymmetric design achieves superior tissue compression control while maintaining a relatively simple monolithic staple structure that integrates all three legs, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If triple leg staples with different lengths are implemented, then suturing capability for thicker tissues is improved, but the manufacturing complexity of the staples increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process utilizes parameter changes by forming the three staple legs from a single piece of material through controlled deformation and shaping operations. This approach allows the production of complex asymmetric triple-leg staples with different lengths and configurations while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized forming processes rather than requiring assembly of multiple separate components
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapling device is described having a tool assembly including an anvil assembly and a staple cartridge having a series of tri-staples which are supported and configured to be rotatably ejected from the staple cartridge into the anvil assembly to suture tissue. The manner in which the staples are supported and ejected from within the staple cartridge facilitates the use of a tool assembly of reduced diameter that includes staples capable of suturing thicker tissues than would normally be associated with tool assemblies with such a reduced diameter. A tri-staple is also described that can be ejected from the surgical stapling device. In embodiments, the tri-staple includes three legs of different lengths. Each of the legs is configured to provide a different degree of compression when applied to tissue. In addition, each of the staple legs has a D-shaped configuration when deformed.