Variable Depth Surgical Fastener Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical stapling instruments face issues with misalignment of fasteners and retainers due to shifting or slippage during tissue clamping, especially with varying tissue thickness, which can lead to incomplete or improper anastomosis in circular anastomosis procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical fastening apparatus featuring a fastener receiving frame with spaced openings and a fastener supporting member with locking tabs or surfaces that allow for variable depth engagement of fasteners, ensuring secure mating regardless of tissue thickness, and an annular pusher for advancing these components to facilitate tissue severing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surgical stapling instruments are used with fixed-depth fasteners, then the device structure is simple, but misalignment occurs due to varying tissue thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is designed with multiple locking tabs at different depths along its length, allowing it to dynamically engage with corresponding locking surfaces on the retainer at varying depths. This dynamic engagement capability enables the fastener to adapt to different tissue thicknesses while maintaining secure fixation, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener is segmented into multiple functional zones with locking tabs positioned at different depths along its longitudinal axis. Each locking tab can engage with the retainer's locking surfaces at a specific depth, creating discrete engagement positions that accommodate varying tissue thicknesses. This segmentation allows the single fastener to provide multiple depth options without requiring multiple different fastener types.
2Strength
If fasteners are advanced with high firing force, then tissue fastening is secure, but retainers shift out of position causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tabs on the fastener and corresponding locking surfaces on the retainer are pre-configured in specific positions before the fastening operation. As the fastener is advanced, the locking tabs automatically engage with the locking surfaces at the appropriate depth, preliminarily establishing the correct alignment and depth of engagement. This preliminary action ensures that when high firing force is applied, the retainers remain securely positioned without shifting, maintaining alignment precision while achieving strong fastening.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical fastening apparatus including a fastener receiving frame including a plurality of spaced apart openings formed therein and a fastener supporting member containing a plurality of surgical fasteners extending therefrom. The surgical fasteners are engagable with the plurality of openings to mate with the fastener receiving frame to fasten tissue therebetween. The fasteners are engageable with the openings in a plurality of positions dependent on a tissue thickness between the fastener receiving frame and the fastener supporting member.