SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH STAPLES HAVING CROWN FEATURES FOR INCREASING FORMED STAPLE FOOTPRINT

• US 20130079814A1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hess, Christopher J., Morgan, Jerome R., Weisenburgh, William B. II, Clem, Michael F., Shelton, Frederick E. IV
• Granted Patent: US 8,808,325 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: 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 17/07292 Reinforcements for staple line, e.g. pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1114 of the digestive tract, e.g. bowels or oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/34 Trocars; Puncturing needles pointed biopsy instruments A61B10/0233; devices for piercing the ear-lobes A44C7/001; seals or hemostasis valves A61M39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00539 hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00831 Material properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• 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 2017/07257 : characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07264 : characterised by its staple forming cavities, e.g. geometry or material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 : characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 : characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 : characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2932 : Transmission of forces to jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 : Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 : Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 : using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 : pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 : abutting on tissue or skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 : for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 : for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 : Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

A staple having a crown, a deformable leg extending from the crown, and a spring extending from the crown configured to compress tissue between the spring and the deformable member. Owing to the flexibility of the spring, the staple can accommodate a wide range of tissue thicknesses while still compressing the tissue captured therein. As a result, a single staple design can be used in a wide variety of surgical procedures thereby reducing the amount of staple designs that must be provided to the surgeon. In at least one embodiment, the staple includes a crushable member. This crushable member can include a plastically deformable first portion and an elastically deformable second portion. The present invention can also include, in various embodiments, a crown, a first deformable member extending from the crown, and means for compressing the tissue against the first deformable member.

Claims

1. A surgical staple assembly, comprising:

(a) at least one wire defining a pair of staple legs, wherein the at least one wire is comprised of a first material; and

(b) a crown secured to the staple legs, wherein the crown extends between the staple legs, wherein the crown is comprised of a second material that is different than the first material, wherein the crown includes staple forming features configured to deform the staple legs in response to the staple legs being driven into the crown;

wherein the at least one wire and the crown are configured to cooperate to form a surgical staple.

2. The surgical staple assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one wire further defines a base extending between the staple legs.

3. The surgical staple assembly of claim 2, wherein at least part of the base is embedded in the crown.

4. The surgical staple assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one wire comprises a single piece of wire defining the pair of staple legs and the base.

5. The surgical staple assembly of claim 1, wherein the second material is a bioabsorbable material.

6. The surgical staple assembly of claim 1, wherein the crown further comprises a hydrophilic material.

7. The surgical staple assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) an anvil; and

(b) a staple driving assembly, wherein the staple driving assembly is operable to drive the staple legs and the crown in a first direction toward the anvil.

8. The surgical staple assembly of claim 7, wherein the anvil comprises a staple forming surface configured to deform the staple legs and thereby drive the staple legs in a second direction toward the crown in response to the staple driving assembly driving the staple legs in the first direction into the anvil.

9. The surgical staple assembly of claim 8, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

10. The surgical staple assembly of claim 8, wherein the staple forming features of the crown are configured to deform the staple legs in a third direction in response to the staple legs being driven in the second direction into the crown.

11. The surgical staple assembly of claim 10, wherein the third direction is transverse to the second direction.

12. The surgical staple assembly of claim 8, wherein the anvil further comprises an annular array of staple forming pockets comprising the staple forming surface, wherein the staple driving assembly comprises an annular array of staples including the surgical staple formed by the at least one wire and the crown.

13. The surgical staple assembly of claim 7, wherein the crown defines a longitudinal axis, wherein one or both of either the staple forming features of the crown or the staple forming surface of the anvil are operable to deflect the staple legs obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis.

14. The surgical staple assembly of claim 7, wherein the staple driving assembly comprises a translating sled, wherein the translating sled comprises a cam feature operable to drive the staple legs and the crown in a first direction toward the anvil in response to translation of the translating sled.

15. The surgical staple assembly of claim 14, wherein the cam feature is positionable to directly contact the crown to thereby drive the staple legs and the crown in a first direction toward the anvil in response to translation of the translating sled.

16. The surgical staple assembly of claim 1, wherein the crown defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the staple forming features are laterally offset relative to the longitudinal axis.

17. The surgical staple assembly of claim 16, wherein the staple legs are positioned along respective staple leg axes, wherein the staple leg axes intersect the longitudinal axis of the crown.

18. A surgical staple assembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of staples, wherein the staples are arranged in an arcuate array, wherein each staple comprises;

(i) a pair of staple legs, and

(ii) a crown, wherein the crown extends between the staple legs, wherein the crown defines a longitudinal axis;

(b) an anvil, wherein the anvil is operable to deform the staple legs and thereby drive the staple legs toward the crown; and

(c) a staple driving assembly, wherein the staple driving assembly is operable to drive the staple legs of each staple toward the anvil along a respective staple driving path;

wherein one or both of the crown or the anvil include staple forming features operable to deform the staple legs to formed positions where at least part of the staple legs are laterally offset relative to both the longitudinal axis defined by the crown and the respective staple driving paths.

19. The surgical staple assembly of claim 18, wherein the staple further comprises a single wire defining both of the staple legs and a base extending between the staple legs, wherein the crown comprises a pair of recesses defining the staple forming features operable to deform the staple legs to positions that are laterally offset relative to both the longitudinal axis defined by the crown and the respective staple driving path.

20. A surgical staple assembly, comprising:

(a) a plurality of staples, wherein each staple comprises;

(i) a pair of staple legs, and

(ii) a crown, wherein the crown extends between the staple legs, wherein the crown defines a longitudinal axis;

(b) an anvil, wherein the anvil is operable to deform the staple legs and thereby drive the staple legs toward the crown, wherein the anvil has a generally circular perimeter; and

(c) a staple driving assembly, wherein the staple driving assembly is operable to drive the staple legs toward the anvil;

wherein one or both of the crown or the anvil include staple forming features operable to deform the staple legs to formed positions where the staple legs define respective planes that are obliquely angled relative to both the longitudinal axis defined by the crown and the respective staple driving paths.