Adjustable Compression Staple and Method for Stapling with Adjustable Compression

• US 20120046692A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin W., Palmer, Matthew A., Kline, Korey, Deville, Derek Dee
• Granted Patent: US 8,679,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/219
• 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: F16B 15/0015 Staples

Abstract

A method for applying and maintaining optimal tissue compression with a staple includes piercing tissue with deformable distal ends of staple legs, each distal end defining a stapling point shaped to pierce material, the two staple legs coupled to each other at base ends thereof by a bridge and together forming a substantially U-shaped staple body. The two staple legs enter the tissue until the tissue applies a compressive force to a compression device disposed at least partly between the two staple legs. The compression device has a compression surface movably disposed between the two staple legs and a compression resistor that is connected to the bridge and to the compression surface and operable to resist movement of the compression surface towards the bridge with a force. The two staple legs are deformed to maintain the compressive force between the tissue and the compression device.

Claims

1. A method for applying and maintaining optimal tissue compression with a staple, the method comprising:

piercing tissue with deformable distal ends of two staple legs, each distal end defining a stapling point shaped to pierce material to be stapled, the two staple legs coupled to each other at base ends thereof by a bridge, the two staple legs and the bridge forming a substantially U-shaped staple body;

causing the two staple legs to enter the tissue until the tissue applies a compressive force to a compression device disposed at least partly between the two staple legs, the compression device having;

a compression surface movably disposed with respect to the bridge; and

a compression resistor;

connected to the compression surface; and

being formed to resist movement of the compression surface towards the bridge with a force; and

deforming the two staple legs to maintain at least some of the compressive force between the tissue and the compression device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deforming step comprises:

bending the stapling points toward one another, thereby compressing the tissue between the compression surface and the stapling points; and

maintaining, with the compression resistor, a substantially constant compressive force on the tissue within a pre-defined range independent of a distance between the stapling points and the bridge.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

causing the tissue to change from a first state to a second state, a thickness of the tissue in the first state being different from a thickness of the tissue in the second state; and

applying, with the compression device, a substantially constant compressive force to the tissue in both the first state and the second state.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

desiccating the tissue with the compression device; and

substantially maintaining the compressive force on the tissue after the desiccating step.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deforming step comprises bending the distal ends of the two staple legs, thereby defining a central compression region between the compression surface and the two staple legs.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the bending step comprises bending the distal ends of the two staple legs in a staple-closing direction into the central compression region, the compression resistor resisting movement of the compression surface in the staple-closing direction with a pre-defined, substantially constant force.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deforming step comprises compressing the tissue between the compression surface and the stapling points.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the bridge is substantially rod-shaped with bridge ends; and

the base end of each the two staple legs is integral with a respective one of the bridge ends.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the bridge and the two staple legs define a bridge-leg plane;

the two staple legs extend from the bridge at an angle of between 80 and 100 degrees in the bridge-leg plane; and

the distal ends are capable of bending to approximately 180 degrees in the bridge-leg plane.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the compression surface defines two orifices; and

each of the two staple legs extends through one of the two orifices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the compression resistor defines at least one orifice pair;

the compression surface defines two orifices; and

each of the two staple legs extends through one of the two orifices and one of the at least one orifice pair.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression surface is parallel to the bridge.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the bridge and the two staple legs define a compression axis; and

the compression surface is movably disposed between the two staple legs along the compression axis.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bridge, the two staple legs, the compression resistor, and the compression surface are integral.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression resistor is separate from the bridge and fixed to the bridge between the two staple legs.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression resistor is disposed between the bridge and the compression surface.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression resistor is operable to resist movement of the compression surface towards the bridge with one of:

a substantially constant force; and

a linearly increasing force.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression resistor has an anti-compressive spring constant imparting a substantially constant anti-compressive force over a pre-defined compression range.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compression surface and the compression resistor are operable to impart a pre-defined, substantially constant bias force upon material disposed between the compression surface and the stapling points when the stapling points are deformed.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the bridge and the two staple legs define a bridge-leg plane; and

the compression resistor is one of;

sinusoidal in the bridge-leg plane; and

double-sinusoidal in the bridge-leg plane.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the compression surface is a C-beam defining two orifices;

the compression resistor is one of;

a conical spring with a lower end connected to the compression surface;

a pair of springs each surrounding a portion of a respective one of the two staple legs and each having a lower end connected to the compression surface; and

a pair of springs each having an upper end connected to the bridge and a lower end connected to the compression surface; and

each of the two staple legs slidably rests within a respective one of the two orifices.

22. A method of stapling tissue during a surgical procedure, the method comprising:

inserting leg portions of a substantially U-shaped surgical staple into tissue;

deforming the leg portions, thereby compressing a portion of the tissue between piercing ends of the leg portions and a compression surface disposed between the tissue and a bridge portion coupling the leg portions to each other;

applying a substantially constant pre-defined compressive force to the tissue with a compression resistor at least partly disposed between the compression surface and the bridge portion; and

maintaining, with the compression surface and the compression resistor, the substantially constant pre-defined compressive force throughout a state change of the tissue.

23. A method for applying a compression-self-adjusting staple to tissue, the method comprising:

inserting leg portions of a substantially U-shaped surgical staple into the tissue, the staple having an internal compression device at least partly disposed between the leg portions, the compression device being operable to place a substantially constant compressive force against material stapled therein independent of a magnitude of staple firing force, the substantially constant compressive force being applied in a substantially longitudinal direction of an unbent section of the leg portions.