BUTTRESS MATERIAL FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20090206139A1
• 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: Hall, Steven G., Timm, Richard W., Parihar, Shailendra K., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Korvick, Donna L., Zwolinski, Andrew M., Swayze, Jeffrey S., Siebenaler, Douglas J., Messerly, Jeffrey D., Smith, Richard C., Tanguay, Randall J., Robertson, Galen C., Armstrong, Glen A., Huitema, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US12/031,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206139A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.100
• 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 stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge;

an anvil;

a piece of buttress material configured to be at least partially positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil; and

a resilient member including a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is configured to be attached to one of said staple cartridge and said anvil, and wherein said second end is configured to engage a portion of said piece of buttress material to releasably retain said piece said of buttress material to one of said anvil and said staple cartridge.

2. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said piece of buttress material comprises:

a tissue-contacting portion; and

a side portion extending in a non-parallel direction with respect to said tissue-contacting portion, wherein said resilient member is configured to releasably retain said side portion against one of said staple cartridge and said anvil.

3. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said staple cartridge includes a staple cartridge channel and a staple cartridge insert, wherein said staple cartridge insert is configured to removably store staples, and wherein said staple cartridge channel is configured to receive said staple cartridge insert.

4. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said resilient member is a first resilient member and said piece of buttress material is a first piece of buttress material, wherein said end-effector assembly further comprises a second resilient member and a second piece of buttress material, wherein said first resilient member is configured to releasably retain said first piece of buttress material to one of said anvil and said staple cartridge, and wherein said second resilient member is configured to releasably retain said second piece of buttress material to the other of said anvil and said staple cartridge.

5. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said piece of buttress material includes a first edge and a second edge, wherein said resilient member is a first resilient member configured to releasably retain said buttress material to one of said anvil and said staple cartridge along said first edge, and wherein said end-effector assembly further comprises a second resilient member configured to releasably retain said buttress material to said one of said anvil and said staple along said second edge.

6. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge configured to removably store staples;

an anvil configured to deform the staples;

a piece of buttress material configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil; and

a retention member movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said retention member is configured to releasably retain at least a portion of said piece of buttress material to one of said staple cartridge and said anvil when said retention member is in said first position, and wherein said retention member is configured to release said piece of buttress material when said retention member is in said second position.

7. The end-effector assembly of claim 6, wherein the staples are configured to be stored within said staple cartridge when said retention member is in said first position, and wherein the staples are configured to be deployed from said staple cartridge when said retention member is in said second position.

8. The end-effector assembly of claim 6, wherein said staple cartridge includes a staple cartridge channel and a staple cartridge insert, wherein said staple cartridge insert is configured to removably store staples, and wherein said staple cartridge channel is configured to receive said staple cartridge insert.

9. The end-effector assembly of claim 6, wherein said flexible member is a first retention member and said piece of buttress material is a first piece of buttress material, wherein said end-effector assembly further comprises a second retention member and a second piece of buttress material, and wherein said second retention member is configured to releasably retain said second piece of buttress material to the other of said staple cartridge and said anvil.

10. The end-effector assembly of claim 6, wherein said buttress material includes an elongate aperture configured to slidably receive said retention member.

11. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge including a staple cavity;

an anvil including a anvil pocket; and

a piece of buttress material configured to be releasably engaged with one of said staple cartridge and said anvil in a snap-fit fashion, wherein said piece of buttress material comprises a projection extending therefrom, and wherein said projection is configured to engage one of said staple cavity and said anvil pocket.

12. The end-effector assembly of claim 11, wherein said anvil includes a first lip extending along a first edge and a second lip extending along a second edge, and wherein said piece of buttress material is configured to releasably engage said first and second lips to retain said piece of buttress material to said anvil in a snap-fit fashion.

13. The end-effector assembly of claim 11, wherein said staple cartridge includes a first lip extending along a first edge and a second lip extending along a second edge, wherein said piece of buttress material is configured to releasably engage said first and second lips to retain said piece of buttress material to said staple cartridge in a snap-fit fashion.

14. The end-effector assembly of claim 11, wherein said anvil includes a first lip and a second lip extending therefrom, and wherein said piece of buttress material is configured to be snap-fit between said first and second lips.

15. The end-effector assembly of claim 11, wherein said staple cartridge includes a first lip and a second lip extending therefrom, and wherein said piece of buttress material is configured to be snap-fit between said first and second lips.

16. A piece of buttress material configured to be positioned on an end-effector of a surgical stapler, wherein the end effector includes a staple cartridge and an anvil, wherein the staple cartridge includes a deck having a staple cavity defined therein, and wherein the anvil includes a face having an anvil pocket defined therein, the piece of buttress material comprising:

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

a projection extending from said body portion, wherein said projection is configured to frictionally engage one of the staple cavity and the anvil pocket to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to one of the staple cartridge and the anvil.

17. The piece of buttress material of claim 16, further comprising an edge and a retaining lip, wherein said retaining lip extends from said surface along at least a portion of said edge, and wherein said retaining lip is configured to releasably engage at least a portion of said one of the staple cartridge and the anvil.

18. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge including a staple cavity;

an anvil including an anvil pocket; and

a piece of buttress configured to be releasably engaged with one of said staple cartridge and said anvil in a snap-fit fashion, wherein said one of said staple cartridge and said anvil includes a first lip extending along a first edge and a second lip extending along a second edge, and wherein said piece of buttress material is configured to releasably engage said first and second lips to retain said piece of buttress material to said one of said staple cartridge and said anvil in a snap-fit fashion.

19. The end-effector assembly of claim 18, wherein said piece of buttress material further comprises:

a first retention lip configured to cooperate with said first lip; and

a second retention lip configured to cooperate with said second lip.

20. The end-effector assembly of claim 19, wherein said piece of buttress material further comprises a tissue-contacting surface, and wherein said first and second retention lips extend from said tissue-contacting surface in directions which are not parallel to said tissue-contacting surface.