Staple pocket arrangement for surgical stapler

• US 20070057014A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Whitman, Michael, Burbank, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/155
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07264 characterised by its staple forming cavities, e.g. geometry or material

Abstract

A staple pocket arrangement on the anvil portion of a surgical stapler device includes pairs of staple pockets corresponding to each one of a plurality of staples to be closed. The staple pockets may have a generally triangular shape when viewed from above. Each respective staple leg is received at a longitudinal end of the staple pocket that provides a relatively wide target area for receiving the staple leg to eliminate or at least minimize the likelihood that a staple leg will miss the staple pocket due to, e.g., misalignment between a first jaw of the surgical stapler having the anvil and a second jaw of the surgical stapler having a cartridge configured to fire the staples. The staple pockets may be arranged in rows, each row of staple pockets being longitudinally offset from another row, such that each staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from an adjacent row of staple pockets to make more efficient use of space on the anvil.

Claims

1. A surgical stapler device for closing staples, each staple having a distal staple leg and a proximal staple leg, the device comprising:

an anvil portion including at least two rows of staple pockets, each one of the at least two rows including at least a pair of staple pockets, each pair of staple pockets including a distal staple pocket for receiving and closing the distal staple leg and a proximal staple pocket for receiving and closing the proximal staple leg, wherein a staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from a second row of staple pockets.

2. The surgical stapler device of claim 1, wherein a first of a distal and a proximal staple pocket of a first row is nested with a second of a distal and a proximal staple pocket of a second row.

3. The surgical stapler device of claim 2, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row.

4. The surgical stapler device of claim 3, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row by one half of a center-to-center pitch of a pair of staple pockets.

5. The surgical stapler device of claim 3, wherein each staple pocket of the at least one pair of staple pockets has a generally triangular shape when viewed from above.

6. The surgical stapler device of claim 1, wherein, in each row of the at least two rows, the staple pockets are arranged along a center line.

7. The surgical stapler device of claim 6, wherein, in each pair of staple pockets, a first one of a distal and a proximal staple pocket is a mirror image of a second one of the distal and the proximal staple pocket.

8. The surgical stapler device of claim 1, wherein, for each one of the staple pockets, an outer longitudinal end of the staple pocket is wider than an inner longitudinal end of the staple pocket.

9. The surgical stapler device of claim 8, wherein the outer longitudinal end of each staple pocket is configured to first receive a respective staple leg.

10. The surgical stapler device of claim 9, wherein each one of the staple pockets includes a curved canyon floor which forms a respective staple leg into an arc as the staple leg is received and pushed into the curved canyon floor of the staple pocket.

11. The surgical stapler device of claim 10, wherein each staple pocket includes walls along which a staple leg is guided, the walls being steeply angled.

12. The surgical stapler device of claim 10, wherein the canyon floor has a generally smooth and continuous curvature.

13. The surgical stapler device of claim 12, wherein the floor of each staple pocket includes radii of curvature that at least minimize tight corners that may snag or impede staple legs that are moving along the surface during bending of a respective staple leg.

14. A surgical stapler device for closing at least one staple having a distal staple leg and a proximal staple leg, the device comprising:

an anvil portion including at least a pair of staple pockets, the at least a pair of staple pockets including a distal staple pocket for receiving and closing the distal staple leg and a proximal staple pocket for receiving and closing the proximal staple leg, wherein each staple pocket of the at least a pair of staple pockets has a generally triangular shape when viewed from above.

15. The surgical stapler device of claim 14, wherein, in each one of the at least a pair of staple pockets, a proximal staple pocket is a mirror image of a distal staple pocket.

16. The surgical stapler device of claim 14, wherein each one of the staple pockets includes a curved canyon floor which forms a respective staple leg into an arc as the staple leg is received and pushed into the curved canyon floor of the staple pocket.

17. The surgical stapler device of claim 14, wherein each staple pocket includes walls along which a staple leg is guided, the walls being steeply angled.

18. The surgical stapler device of claim 16, wherein the canyon floor has a generally smooth and continuous curvature.

19. The surgical stapler device of claim 18, wherein the floor of each staple pocket includes radii of curvature that at least minimize tight corners that may snag or impede staple legs that are moving along the surface during bending of a respective staple leg.

20. The surgical stapler device of claim 14, wherein the anvil portion includes at least two rows of staple pockets, each one of the at least two rows including at least a pair of staple pockets, wherein a staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from a second row of staple pockets.

21. The surgical stapler device of claim 20, wherein a first of a distal and a proximal staple pocket of a first row is nested with a second of a distal and a proximal staple pocket of a second row.

22. The surgical stapler device of claim 21, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row.

23. The surgical stapler device of claim 22, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row by one half of a center-to-center pitch of a pair of staple pockets.

24. The surgical stapler device of claim 14, wherein, for each one of the staple pockets, an outer longitudinal end of the staple pocket is wider than an inner longitudinal end of the staple pocket.

25. The surgical stapler device of claim 24, wherein the outer longitudinal end of each staple pocket is configured to first receive a respective staple leg.

26. The surgical stapler device of claim 20, wherein, in each row of the at least two rows, the staple pockets are arranged along a center line.

27. The surgical stapler device of claim 20, wherein the sides of the staple pocket between the inner and outer longitudinal ends are angled relative to the center line.

28. The surgical stapler device of claim 27, wherein, when the staple pocket in the first row of staple pockets is nested with the staple pocket from the second row of staple pockets, adjacent sides of the staple pockets are generally parallel to each other.

29. An anvil comprising at least two rows of staple pockets, each one of the at least two rows including at least a pair of staple pockets, each pair of staple pockets including a distal staple pocket and a proximal staple pocket, wherein a staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from a second row of staple pockets.

30. The anvil of claim 29, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row.

31. The anvil of claim 29, wherein each staple pocket of the at least one pair of staple pockets has a generally triangular shape when viewed from above.

32. The anvil of claim 31, wherein, in each pair of staple pockets, a distal staple pocket is a mirror image of a proximal staple pocket.

33. The anvil of claim 29, wherein each one of the staple pockets includes a curved floor having a generally smooth and continuous curvature including radii of curvature that at least minimize tight corners.

34. The anvil of claim 33, wherein each staple pocket includes walls that are steeply angled.

35. An anvil comprising at least a pair of staple pockets, the at least a pair of staple pockets including a distal staple pocket and a proximal staple pocket, wherein each staple pocket of the at least a pair of staple pockets has a generally triangular shape when viewed from above.

36. The anvil of claim 35, wherein, in each one of the at least a pair of staple pockets, a proximal staple pocket is a mirror image of a distal staple pocket.

37. The anvil of claim 35, wherein each one of the staple pockets includes a curved canyon floor and walls, the walls being steeply angled.

38. The anvil of claim 37, wherein the floor has a generally smooth and continuous curvature including radii of curvature that at least minimize tight corners.

39. The anvil of claim 35, includes at least two rows of staple pockets, each one of the at least two rows including at least a pair of staple pockets, wherein a staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from a second row of staple pockets.

40. The anvil of claim 39, wherein the staple pockets of the first row are longitudinally offset from the staple pockets of the second row.

41. The anvil of claim 35, wherein, for each one of the staple pockets, an outer longitudinal end of the staple pocket is wider than an inner longitudinal end of the staple pocket.

42. The anvil of claim 41, wherein, in each row of the at least two rows, the staple pockets are arranged along a center line.

43. The anvil of claim 42, wherein the sides of the staple pocket between the inner and outer longitudinal ends are angled relative to the center line.

44. The anvil of claim 43, wherein, when the staple pocket in the first row of staple pockets is nested with the staple pocket from the second row of staple pockets, adjacent sides of the staple pockets are generally parallel to each other.