Variable Anvil Stapling Mechanism for Tissue Thickness Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endocutter devices face challenges in manufacturing small end effectors that can efficiently cut and staple tissue, as they require significant actuation forces that vary with tissue thickness, and are often too large to access tight spaces effectively, lacking the option to install fasteners without cutting tissue.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a handle assembly and elongated shaft supporting a staple cartridge and anvil, where the anvil's movement into forming contact with staples is dependent on the magnitude of the firing force applied, allowing for adjustable staple formation and tissue cutting without cutting the tissue initially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If robust anvil closure systems and staple driving systems are employed to accommodate thick tissues, then the device can handle a specific range of tissue thicknesses, but the device becomes too large to effectively access tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is designed with movable components that allow dynamic adjustment of the closure system's characteristics. The anvil can be positioned at different locations along the elongated shaft, and its closure force can be varied, enabling the same device to adapt to different tissue thicknesses without requiring multiple fixed-size systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameters of the anvil closure system by allowing variation in anvil position and closure force magnitude. This enables the device to accommodate different tissue thicknesses (from thin to thick) by adjusting these parameters rather than requiring different device sizes.
2Volume of moving object
If smaller end effectors are used to improve visualization and access in tight spaces, then better visualization and access are achieved, but the actuation forces required to form staples and cut tissue become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional robust mechanical staple driving systems with a different mechanism. The anvil closure system is actuated by a firing system that can generate sufficient closure force without requiring a large, robust mechanical driving system, thereby enabling smaller end effector size while maintaining adequate actuation force.
Solution Approach 2:
The firing system provides dynamic control over the anvil closure force, allowing the system to generate sufficient force for staple formation and tissue cutting in a compact configuration. The movable anvil and controlled closure mechanism enable adequate force generation without the bulk of traditional robust mechanical systems.
3Productivity
If existing endocutters are designed to cut tissue as staples are driven, then effective cutting and fastening is achieved, but the surgeon loses the option to install fasteners without cutting tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the staple formation function from the tissue cutting function. The anvil closure system is designed to form staples independently, while the cutting function is provided by a separate endocutter component. This segmentation allows the surgeon to choose whether to cut tissue or simply install fasteners, providing procedural flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The device achieves multi-functionality by combining staple formation, tissue cutting, and fastener installation capabilities in a single system. The anvil closure system can operate with or without the endocutter, enabling both cutting/fastening procedures and fastener-only installation, thereby providing universal applicability for different surgical needs.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1E
AI summary
A surgical stapling instrument for use with an end effector that has an anvil that is movable relative to a staple cartridge supported in the end effector. The end effector is supported by an elongated shaft that extends from a handle assembly. The staple cartridge has a plurality of unformed staples therein that are formed when the anvil is moved into forming contact therewith. Movement of the anvil is controlled by a firing trigger on a handle assembly. The amount of staple formation achieved is dependent upon the degree to which the firing trigger has been actuated.