Method of manufacturing staples

• US 20080082115A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Morgan, Jerome R., Hess, Christopher J., Weisenburgh, William B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/153
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• 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 17/072 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 17/07292 Reinforcements for staple line, e.g. pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1114 of the digestive tract, e.g. bowels or oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/34 Trocars; Puncturing needles pointed biopsy instruments A61B10/0233; devices for piercing the ear-lobes A44C7/001; seals or hemostasis valves A61M39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00539 hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00831 Material properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• 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 2017/07257 : characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07264 : characterised by its staple forming cavities, e.g. geometry or material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 : characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 : characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 : characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2932 : Transmission of forces to jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 : Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 : Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 : using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 : pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 : abutting on tissue or skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 : for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 : for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 : Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

A method of manufacturing staples including the steps of placing a deformable member into a mold block and overmolding a crown onto the deformable member. In various embodiments, several deformable members may be produced from an elongate wire where the deformable members can be connected by portions of the wire. In at least one such embodiment, the elongate member can then be cut to separate the deformable members to form a plurality of surgical staples or strips of surgical staples.

Claims

1. A method of making first and second staples, wherein each staple includes a base and a leg, said method comprising the steps of:

placing an elongate member into a mold, wherein the elongate member is comprised of the leg and the base of the first staple and the leg and the base of the second staple, and wherein the leg of the first staple is connected to the leg of the second staple;

overmolding a first crown onto the base of the first staple;

overmolding a second crown onto the base of the second staple; and

cutting the elongate member to separate the legs of the first and second staples.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of configuring the mold to accept the elongate member and defining a plurality of cavities in the mold to accept the bases of the first and second staples.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the elongate member into a serpentine-shape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mold further comprises a transfer block, wherein said placing step further comprises the steps of placing the elongate member in the transfer block and placing the transfer block into the mold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of overmolding the first crown onto a portion of the leg of the first staple and overmolding the second crown onto a portion of the leg of the second staple.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of making a third staple, the third staple including a leg and a base, wherein the elongate member is further comprised of the leg and the base of the third staple and a second leg of the second staple, and wherein the leg of the third staple is connected to the second leg of the second staple, said method further comprising the steps of:

overmolding a third crown onto the base of the third staple; and

cutting the elongate member to separate the leg of the third staple and the second leg of the second staple.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein after said cutting step the legs of the first staple are longer than the legs of the second staple.

8. A method of making first and second staples, wherein each staple includes a base and a leg, said method comprising the steps of:

placing an elongate member into a mold, wherein the elongate member is comprised of the leg and the base of the first staple, the leg and the base of the second staple, and a connector, and wherein the connector joins the leg of the first staple to the leg of the second staple;

overmolding a first crown onto the base of the first staple;

overmolding a second crown onto the base of the second staple; and

cutting the connector to separate the legs of the first and second staples.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of configuring the mold to accept the elongate member and defining a plurality of cavities in the mold to accept the bases of the first and second staples.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said mold further comprises a transfer block, wherein said placing step further comprises the steps of placing the elongate member in the transfer block and placing the transfer block into the mold.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of overmolding the first crown onto a portion of the leg of the first staple and overmolding the second crown onto a portion of the leg of the second staple.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of making a third staple, the third staple including a leg and a base, wherein the elongate member is further comprised of the leg and the base of the third staple and a second leg of the second staple, and wherein the leg of the third staple is connected to the second leg of the second staple, said method further comprising the steps of:

overmolding a third crown onto the base of the third staple; and

cutting the elongate member to separate the leg of the third staple and the second leg of the second staple.

13. A method of making staples, comprising the steps of:

placing a plurality of deformable members into a mold, wherein each deformable member comprises a base and a leg;

overmolding at least one crown onto the bases of the deformable members to form the staples; and

loading the staples into a staple cartridge.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said placing step comprises the step of loading deformable members into a transfer block and placing the transfer block in the mold.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said plurality of deformable members comprises a strip of deformable members.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said plurality of deformable members are unconnected.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of overmolding the crowns onto portions of the legs of the deformable members.

18. A method of making staples, comprising the steps of:

placing a plurality of deformable members into a transfer block, wherein each deformable member includes a base and a leg;

placing the transfer block into a mold;

overmolding at least one crown onto the bases of the deformable members to form the staples; and

loading the staples into a staple cartridge.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of deformable members includes a first staple and a second staple, wherein the leg of the first staple is connected to the leg of the second staple, and wherein said method further comprises the step of separating the leg of the first staple from the leg of the second staple.

20. A transfer block for use with a mold configured to make a first staple and a second staple, wherein the first staple and the second staple each include a deformable member, and wherein the deformable member of the first staple is connected to the deformable member of the second staple, said transfer block comprising:

a first portion; and

a second portion, wherein said first portion and said second portion cooperate to form at least one cavity, and wherein said cavity is configured to accept the deformable members of the first and second staples; and

an aperture defined in said first portion, wherein said aperture is configured to accept a cutting member, and wherein the cutting member is configured to disconnect the deformable member of the first staple from the deformable member of the second staple.

21. The transfer block of claim 20, wherein the mold includes the cutting member, and wherein the cutting member is movable relative to the transfer block.