Surgical stapling instruments with collapsible features for controlling staple height

• US 20070073340A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Swayze, Jeffrey, Timperman, Eugene, Shelton, Frederick, Fugikawa, Leslie
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00535 pneumatically or hydraulically operated A61B2017/22051, A61B2090/401 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07242 achieving different staple heights during the same shot, e.g. using an anvil anvil having different heights or staples of different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0725 with settable gap between anvil and cartridge, e.g. for different staple heights at different shots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32113 with extendable or retractable guard or blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

A surgical instrument for being endoscopically or laparoscopically inserted into a surgical site for simultaneous stapling and severing of tissue includes force adjusted spacing between an upper jaw (anvil) and a lower jaw (staple cartridge engaged to an elongate staple channel) so that the height of staple formation corresponds to the thickness of the tissue, yet does not exceed the height range that may be accommodated by the length of the staples. In particular, collapsible staple drivers may be supported within the cartridge for driving a staple or staples supported thereon into forming contact with an underside of an anvil attached to the instrument. As the staples contact the anvil, the drivers can compress or collapse to control the overall formed height of the staple or staples based upon the amount of compression forces experienced by the drivers during the stapling process.

Claims

1. A collapsible staple driver for use in a surgical staple cartridge, said collapsible staple driver comprising:

a base portion configured to be operably supported by the surgical staple cartridge;

a staple supporting portion configured to be operably supported within the surgical staple cartridge adjacent to said base portion; and

a resistive attachment structure coacting with said base portion and said staple supporting portion to support said staple supporting portion in a first position relative to said base portion and configured to permit said staple supporting portion to move toward said base portion in response to compression forces applied to said staple supporting portion and said base portion during a staple filing operation.

2. The collapsible staple driver of claim 1 wherein said resistive attachment structure comprises at least one attachment member protruding from one of the base portion and the staple supporting portion to be received in a corresponding aperture in the other of the base portion and the staple supporting portion, each attachment member and the corresponding aperture being configured relative to each other to establish a frictional fit therebetween that is overcome upon the application of the compression forces during the staple firing operation.

3. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein each said attachment member has a substantially round cross-sectional shape and each said aperture comprises a round hole.

4. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein each said attachment member comprises a tapered member.

5. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein each said attachment member has a shearable portion thereon that is configured to be sheared from at least another portion of said attachment member as said attachment member is driven into said corresponding aperture during the application of the compression forces to said base portion and said staple supporting portion.

6. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein each said attachment member comprises a rod having a substantially round cross-sectional shape and wherein each said corresponding aperture comprises a non-round hole.

7. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein said each said attachment member comprises a tang having tapered surfaces and wherein said aperture has tapered surfaces similar to the tapered surfaces on said tang.

8. The collapsible staple driver of claim 2 wherein said attachment member comprises at least one pair of tangs corresponding to one said aperture, said tangs of each said pair having ends spaced from each other to establish a frictional fit with said corresponding aperture to support said staple supporting portion in a first position and upon the application of said compression forces to said base portion and said staple supporting portion said end portions move inwardly toward each other to permit said staple supporting portion and said base portion to move toward each other.

9. The collapsible staple driver of claim 8 wherein said corresponding aperture comprises first and second grooves and wherein said at least one pair of tangs comprises:

a first pair of tangs corresponding to said first groove; and

a second pair of tangs corresponding to said second groove, said first pair of tangs coacting with said first groove and said second pair of tangs coacting with said second groove to retain said staple supporting portion in said first position prior to the application of the compression forces to said staple supporting portion and said base portion and permitting said staple supporting portion and said base portion to move toward each other upon the application of the compression forces thereto.

10. The collapsible staple driver of claim 1 wherein said staple supporting portion is fabricated from a first material and said base portion is fabricated from a second material that is more rigid than said first material.

11. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

a cartridge supporting assembly for operably supporting a staple cartridge therein;

a staple cartridge supported within said cartridge supporting assembly and operably supporting a plurality of collapsible staple supporting drivers therein;

an anvil coupled to said cartridge supporting assembly and being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position; and

a drive member operably supported relative to said cartridge supporting assembly for driving said collapsible staple supporting drivers toward said anvil when said anvil is in said closed position in response to a firing force applied to said drive member.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 wherein each said collapsible staple supporting driver comprises:

a base portion movably supported within the staple cartridge;

a staple supporting portion movably supported within the staple cartridge adjacent to said base portion; and

a resistive attachment structure coacting with said base portion and said staple supporting portion to support said staple supporting portion in a first position relative to said base portion and configured to permit said staple supporting portion to move toward said base portion in relation to compression forces applied to said staple supporting portion and said base portion as said drive member drives said collapsible staple drivers toward said anvil.

13. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 12 wherein said resistive attachment structure comprises at least one attachment member protruding from one of the base portion and the staple supporting portion to be received in a corresponding aperture in the other of the base portion and the staple supporting portion, each said attachment member and the corresponding aperture configured relative to each other to establish frictional fit therebetween that is overcome upon the application of said compression forces during the staple firing operation.

14. A method for processing an instrument for surgery, said method comprising:

obtaining said surgical instrument of claim 11;

sterilizing said surgical instrument; and

storing said instrument in a sterile container.

15. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

means for supporting a staple cartridge;

a staple cartridge operably supported in said means for supporting;

an anvil movably coupled to said elongate channel and being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position wherein a staple forming undersurface thereof is in confronting relationship to an upper surface of the staple cartridge in response to a closing motion applied to said anvil and from said closed position to said open position in response to an opening motion applied to said anvil;

a plurality of staple supporting means within said staple cartridge for supporting a plurality of staples therein, each said staple supporting means being collapsible as said staple supporting means are driven from within said staple cartridge toward said staple forming undersurface of said anvil when said anvil is in said closed position, each said staple supporting means supporting at least one staple thereon; and

means for selectively driving said staple supporting means toward said anvil when in said closed position in response to a firing force applied to said means for selectively driving.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 wherein each said staple supporting means comprises:

a base portion movably supported within the staple cartridge;

a staple supporting portion movably supported within the staple cartridge adjacent to said base portion; and

means for retaining said staple supporting portion in a first position relative to said base portion prior to being driven by said means for selectively driving and permitting said staple supporting portion and said base portion to move towards each other as said base portion and said staple supporting portion are driven as a unit toward said anvil and said at least one staple supported thereon contacts said staple forming undersurface of said anvil.

17. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 16 wherein said means for retaining comprises at least one attachment member protruding from one of said base portion and said staple supporting portion and corresponding to an aperture in the other of said base portion and said staple supporting portion, each said attachment member and said aperture sized and shaped relative to each other to establish a interference fit therebetween that may be overcome to drive the attachment member deeper into said corresponding aperture upon application of compression forces to said staple supporting portion and said base portion.

18. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 17 wherein each said attachment member and said base portion are fabricated from different materials.

19. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 17 wherein said at least one attachment member protrudes from said base portion and said corresponding aperture is in said staple supporting portion.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 17 wherein said attachment member is selected from the group of attachment members consisting of:

a rod having a substantially round cross-sectional shape, a tapered rod, a tang having at least two tapered surfaces, and a pair of tangs having ends oriented in spaced relation to each other and being biasable towards each other upon the application of forces thereto.