BUTTRESS MATERIAL WITH ALIGNMENT AND RETENTION FEATURES FOR USE WITH SURGICAL END EFFECTORS

• US 20090206126A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Morgan, Jerome R., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Swayze, Jeffrey S., Huitema, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US12/031,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.100
• 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 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00495 for two-component glue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/005 hardenable using external energy source, e.g. laser, ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00951 adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• 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 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/002 having adhesive means, e.g. an adhesive strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40

Abstract

A piece of buttress material and an end-effector of a surgical instrument including features which can aid a surgeon in properly and quickly attaching the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In various embodiments, a piece of buttress material can include retention features which can be engaged with portions of an end-effector to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to at least a portion of the end-effector. Similarly, an end-effector can include features configured to engage portions of a piece of buttress material to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In at least one embodiment, more than one piece of buttress material can be releasably retained to an end-effector.

Claims

1. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical instrument, the end-effector assembly comprising:

an anvil including a slot configured to receive at least a portion of a cutting member;

a staple cartridge including a slot configured to receive at least a portion of the cutting member; and

a piece of buttress material including;

a first portion configured to be at least partially positioned intermediate said anvil and staple cartridge, wherein said first portion has a first thickness; and

a second portion configured to be positioned within one of said anvil slot and said staple cartridge slot to releasably retain said piece of buttress material to one of said anvil and said staple cartridge, wherein said second portion has a second thickness, and wherein said second thickness is one of less than or equal to said first thickness.

2. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said anvil slot comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, and wherein said projection is configured to frictionally engage said first side wall and said second side wall.

3. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said projection is configured to be press-fit within one of said anvil slot and said staple cartridge slot.

4. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said piece of buttress material further comprises:

a tissue-contacting portion;

a removable portion; and

one of a recess and a perforation configured to allow said removable portion to detach from said tissue-contacting portion.

5. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical instrument, the end-effector assembly comprising:

an anvil including a slot configured to receive at least a portion of a cutting member; and

a piece of buttress material, including;

a body portion configured to be positioned relative to the anvil;

a projection extending from said body portion, wherein said projection is configured to be positioned within said anvil slot to releasably retain said piece of buttress material to said anvil; and

a groove defined within said projection, wherein said groove is configured to be aligned with said anvil slot when said projection is positioned within said anvil slot.

6. The end-effector assembly of claim 5, wherein said anvil slot comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, and wherein said projection is configured to frictionally engage said first side wall and said second side wall.

7. The end-effector assembly of claim 5, wherein said projection is configured to be press-fit within said anvil slot.

8. The end-effector assembly of claim 5, wherein said body portion of said piece of buttress material further comprises:

a tissue-contacting portion;

a removable portion; and

one of a recess and a perforation configured to allow said removable portion to detach from said tissue-contacting portion.

9. The end-effector assembly of claim 5, wherein said groove includes a V-shaped profile.

10. The end-effector assembly of claim 5, wherein said groove is a first groove, wherein said buttress material further comprises a second groove, and wherein said second groove is defined within said projection.

11. The end-effector assembly of claim 10, wherein said body portion defines a first thickness, wherein said first groove and said second groove define a second thickness, and wherein said second thickness is less than said first thickness.

12. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical instrument, the end-effector assembly comprising:

an anvil including a slot configured to receive at least a portion of a cutting member;

a staple cartridge, including;

a slot configured to receive at least a portion of the cutting member; and

staple cavities for removably storing staples;

a retention slot defined within at least one of said anvil and said staple cartridge; and

a piece of buttress material including;

a body portion configured to be at least partially positioned intermediate said anvil and staple cartridge; and

a retention member extending from said body portion, wherein said retention member is configured to be inserted into said retention slot to retain said body portion intermediate said anvil and said staple cartridge.

13. The end-effector assembly of claim 12, wherein said retention member includes:

a leg connected to said body portion; and

a foot extending from said leg.

14. The end-effector assembly of claim 13, wherein said staple cartridge includes said retention slot, wherein said staple cartridge further includes a deck having a bottom surface and a tissue-contacting top surface, and wherein said foot is configured to engage said bottom surface of said deck to retain said retention member within said retention slot.

15. The end-effector assembly of claim 12, wherein said retention slot is a first retention slot and said retention member is a first retention member, wherein said end-effector assembly farther comprises a second retention slot, wherein said piece of buttress material further comprises a second retention member extending from said body portion, and wherein said second retention member is configured to be inserted into said second retention slot to retain said body portion intermediate said anvil and said staple cartridge.

16. The end-effector assembly of claim 15, wherein said first retention member includes a foot which extends from a leg in a first direction, wherein said second retention member includes a foot which extends from a leg in a second direction, and wherein said first direction is different than said second direction.

17. The end-effector assembly of claim 12, wherein said retention member is configured to be snap-fit into said retention slot.