MULTI-FIRE STAPLING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING ARRAYS OF STAPLES

• US 20100116867A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Barosense, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Cole, David, Hambly, Pablo R., Stewart, Jason S., Balbierz, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.100
• 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 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0086 using clamps, folding means or the like

Abstract

A staple housing includes an array of staples each in a staple delivery position or “ready position” ready to be fired into target tissue. A staple driver is advanceable to drive the ready-position staples from the staple head into the tissue using staple pushers. During use, the staples in the ready positions are simultaneously fired into the target tissue using the staple pushers, forming an array of staples in the target tissue. After the array has been fired, one or more feed mechanisms within the staple housing advance a second group of staples from one or more staple storage locations into the ready positions in preparation for firing of the second group of staples.

Claims

1. A medical stapler comprising:

a staple housing having a plurality of staple delivery locations and at least one staple storage location;

at least one driving element advanceable within the housing to drive staples from the staple delivery locations out of the staple housing;

at least one feed mechanism within the housing, the at least one feed mechanism positioned to advance staples from the at least one staple storage location into the plurality of staple delivery locations.

2. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of staple storage locations, the feed mechanism positioned to advance staples from the plurality of staple storage locations into the plurality of staple delivery locations.

3. The medical stapler of claim 2, wherein the at least one feed mechanism comprises a plurality of feed mechanisms, each positioned to advance staples from a corresponding one of the staple storage locations into a corresponding one of the staple delivery locations.

4. The medical stapler of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of feed mechanisms includes a biasing element positioned to bias staples positioned in the corresponding staple location towards the corresponding delivery location.

5. The medical stapler of claim 4, wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

6. The medical stapler of claim 4, wherein the biasing element comprises an elastomeric member.

7. The medical stapler of claim 6, wherein the elastomeric member comprises an annular member positioned to bias advance staples in each of the staple storage locations in radially inward directions towards the staple delivery locations.

8. The medical stapler of claim 1, further including an anvil positioned such that staples driven from the housing by the driving element contact the anvil.

9. The medical stapler of claim 2, wherein each staple delivery location is positioned to received staples from a corresponding one of the staple storage locations.

10. The medical stapler of claim 2, wherein the at least one driver is advanceable to simultaneously advance staples from the plurality of staple delivery locations out of the housing.

11. The medical stapler of claim 2, wherein the at least one driver is advanceable to sequentially advance staples from the plurality of staple delivery locations out of the housing.

12. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the staple delivery locations are proportioned to receive staples having at least two legs and a back span extending between the legs, and wherein the driver is advanceable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the legs.

13. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the staple delivery locations are proportioned to receive staples having at least two legs and a back span extending between the legs, and wherein the driver is advanceable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the legs.

14. The medical stapler of claim 13, further including a pusher positionable in contact with the back span of a staple in the staple delivery location, and wherein the driver includes a wedge movable into contact with the pusher during movement of the driver in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the legs.

15. The medical stapler of claim 10, wherein the driver includes a plurality of pusher elements simultaneously advanceable into contact with staples positioned in the staple delivery locations.

16. The medical stapler of claim 15, wherein the plurality of elements are mounted to a common support, the support movable from a first position to a second position to advance the pusher elements.

17. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the staple delivery locations are arranged in a linear pattern.

18. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the staple delivery locations are arranged in a non-linear pattern.

19. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein:

the staple housing includes a cartridge receiving location;

the stapler further includes a plurality of staple cartridges each comprising a staple storage location, each cartridge positionable at the cartridge receiving location;

the driving element is advanceable to drive staples from a staple cartridge positioned at the cartridge receiving location; and

the feed mechanism is positioned to advance staple cartridges into the cartridge receiving location, thereby positioning staples at the staple delivery location.

20. The medical stapler of claim 1, wherein the feed mechanism is positioned to advance staple cartridges out of the cartridge receiving location.

21. The medical stapler of claim 20, wherein the plurality of staple cartridges includes at least two staple cartridges coupled to one another.

22. A method of stapling tissue within a body cavity, comprising the steps of:

introducing a stapler having a staple housing into a body cavity, the staple housing including a plurality of staple delivery locations;

positioning the staple housing in a first position in the body cavity, and with the staple housing in the first position, driving a first plurality of staples from the plurality of staple delivery locations into tissue; and

positioning the staple housing in a second position in the body cavity, and with the staple housing in the second position driving a second plurality of staples from the plurality of staple delivery locations into tissue, wherein the stapler remains within the body cavity between delivery of the first plurality of staples and delivery of the second plurality of staples.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein driving the first plurality of staples drives the staples into contact with an anvil.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

automatically feeding the second plurality of staples into the plurality of staple delivery locations from at least one storage location in the housing.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein driving the first plurality of staples includes driving the first plurality of staples from a first staple cartridge in a first position on the staple housing, and wherein the method further comprises automatically positioning a second staple cartridge in the first position on the staple housing to position the second plurality of staples in the staple delivery locations.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein automatically positioning the second staple cartridge includes automatically advancing the first staple cartridge out of the first position.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein driving the first plurality of staples includes simultaneously driving the first plurality of staples.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein driving the first plurality of staples includes sequentially driving the first plurality of staples.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically feeding the second plurality of staples includes biasing staples in the staple storage location towards the staple delivery locations, such that the second plurality of staples automatically advances from the staple storage location into the staple delivery locations.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically feeding the second plurality of staples into the staple delivery locations includes feeding the second plurality of staples from a plurality of staple storage locations into the staple delivery locations.