VARIABLE COMPRESSION SURGICAL FASTENER CARTRIDGE

• US 20090255975A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Viola, Frank J., Zemlok, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/178.100
• 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 2017/00955 thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07235 containing different staples, e.g. staples of different shapes, sizes or materials
• 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: Y10S 227/901 Surgical clip appliers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 227/902 Surgical clips or staples

Abstract

A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising a cartridge body including a plurality of fastener retention slots arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row and an outer row, a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in inner and outer rows and configured such that a plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a backspan that has a greater height than a backspan of a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the outer row, and an anvil having an inner row and an outer row of depressions for forming the fasteners. A plurality of pushers are operably associated with the plurality of surgical fasteners and configured to eject the surgical fasteners toward a respective depression in an anvil for formation thereof such that upon formation, the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the inner row provide a greater compressive force to tissue than the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the outer row.

Claims

1. A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising:

a cartridge body including a tissue contacting surface, the tissue contacting surface including a plurality of fastener retention slots arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row and an outer row;

a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in inner and outer rows and configured such that a plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a backspan that has a greater height than a backspan of a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the outer row;

an anvil having an inner row and an outer row of depressions for forming the fasteners and

a plurality of pushers operably associated with the plurality of surgical fasteners configured to eject the surgical fasteners toward a respective depression in an anvil for formation thereof such that upon formation, the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the inner row provide a greater compressive force to tissue than the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the outer row.

2. A surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer rows of fasteners are spaced laterally on opposite sides of a channel that is located on the tissue contacting surface and configured to accommodate longitudinal movement of a knife.

3. A surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surgical fasteners include two legs extending from a backspan and when formed the surgical fasteners include a generally “

B”

shape configuration with an overall height that is measured from an outermost surface of the backspan to an outermost curve of the legs and a tissue compression space between the legs and backspan, wherein a tissue compression space of the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the inner row is less than a tissue compression space of the plurality of surgical fasteners ejected from the outer row.

4. A surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two legs and the backspan include the same geometrical configuration such that the cross-sectional configuration of the surgical fastener is substantially uniform.

5. A surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two legs include a geometrical configuration that is different from a geometrical configuration of the backspan such that the cross-sectional configuration of the surgical fastener varies.

6. A surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third row of fasteners positioned between the first and second rows of fasteners, a plurality of surgical fasteners in the third row having a backspan having a height less than the height of the backspan of the plurality of surgical fasteners in the inner row and greater than the height of the backspan of the plurality of surgical fasteners in the outer row.

7. A surgical fastening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge body and anvil are pivotally attached.

8. A surgical fastening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cartridge body and anvil is movable along a substantially linear path to move the cartridge body and anvil into approximation.

9. A surgical fastening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer rows of fasteners are substantially linear.

10. A surgical fastening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer rows of fasteners are substantially annular.

11. A surgical fastener cartridge for use with a surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising:

a cartridge body including a plurality of fastener retention slots arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row and an outer row;

a plurality of first surgical fasteners disposed in an inner row and a plurality of second surgical fasteners disposed in an outer row, the fasteners having a pair of legs extending from a backspan, the plurality of first fasteners disposed in the inner row have a backspan having a first height and a plurality of second fasteners in the outer row having a backspan having a second height that is less than the first height; and

a plurality of pushers operably associated with the plurality of surgical fasteners configured to eject the surgical fasteners.

12. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the cartridge body includes a tissue contacting surface having a longitudinal channel configured to accommodate longitudinal movement of a knife, and wherein a pair of inner rows of fasteners are positioned on opposite sides of the channel and a pair of outer rows are positioned on opposite sides of the channel further from the channel than the pair of inner rows.

13. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 11, further comprising middle rows of fasteners positioned between the inner and outer rows of fasteners and having a backspan having third height greater than the second height and less than the first height.

14. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 12, wherein when formed the surgical fasteners include a generally “

B”

shaped configuration having a tissue compression spaced defined between the backspan and a curve of the legs when formed, wherein the tissue compression space of the plurality of surgical fasteners in the inner row is less than the tissue compression space of the plurality of surgical fasteners in the outer row.

15. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the two legs and the backspan include the same geometrical configuration such that the cross-sectional configuration of the surgical fastener is substantially uniform.

16. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the two legs include a geometrical configuration that is different from a geometrical configuration of the backspan such that the cross-sectional configuration of the surgical fastener varies.

17. A surgical fastener cartridge of claim 16 wherein an unformed length of the legs of the plurality of fasteners in the inner row is substantially equal to an unformed length of the legs of the plurality of fasteners in the outer row.

18. A surgical fastener cartridge for use with a surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising:

a cartridge body including a plurality of fastener retention slots arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row and an outer row;

a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the inner and outer rows and configured such that the plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the outer row; and

a plurality of pushers operably associated with the plurality of surgical fasteners, the pushers ejecting the surgical fasteners toward a depression in an anvil such that upon formation of a corresponding surgical fastener, the surgical fasteners ejected from the inner row define a first compression space and the surgical fasteners ejected from the outer row provide a second compression space larger than the first compression space.

19. A surgical fastener according to claim 18, wherein the inner and outer rows are spaced laterally on opposite sides of a channel that is located on the tissue contacting surface and configured to accommodate longitudinal movement of a knife.

20. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 18, wherein each of surgical fasteners includes two legs connected by a backspan extending therebetween, the surgical fasteners including a generally “

B”

shape when formed.

21. A surgical fastener cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of retention slots are arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row, a middle row, and an outer row, wherein the fasteners are arranged in at least an inner row, middle row and outer row, wherein the plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the middle row, and the plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the middle row have a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the outer row.

22. A surgical fastener cartridge of claim 18, further comprising a middle row of fasteners positioned between the inner and rows of fasteners, wherein a plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in one of the middle and outer rows.

23. A surgical fastener cartridge of claim 20, wherein an unformed length of the legs of the plurality of fasteners in the inner row is substantially equal to an unformed length of the legs of the plurality of fasteners in the outer row.