STAPLE FORMATION RECOGNITION FOR A SURGICAL DEVICE

• US 20130168431A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zemlok, Michael A., Pribanic, Russell, Ross, Adam J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,220,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• 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 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00929 isolating electrical current
• 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 2090/0807 Indication means

Abstract

There is provided a surgical stapler having a staple formation recognition system incorporated into an anvil member of the surgical stapler. In one series of embodiments, a trace system and controller form an open electrical circuit and a surgical staple acts as an electrical connector to complete an electrical circuit and confirm the proper formation of the surgical staple. In another series of embodiments, a trace system and a controller form a complete electrical circuit which is broken by engagement of a surgical staple with a trace pad of the trace system to signal proper formation of the surgical staple. There is also provided a knife blade position indication system for tracking the progress of a knife blade through the anvil member and relative to staple crimping pockets formed in the anvil member.

Claims

1. A staple formation recognition system for use with an anvil member of a surgical stapler comprising:

an anvil member defining a staple crimping pocket system having first and second staple pockets;

a trace system at least partially extending within the staple crimping pocket system; and

a controller electrically connected to the trace system for detecting a condition of the trace system.

2. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 1, wherein the trace system includes a first trace pad extending across the first staple pocket of the staple crimping pocket system.

3. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 2, wherein the trace system and the controller form an open electrical circuit and a surgical staple completes the electrical circuit when the surgical staple is properly formed in the staple crimping pocket.

4. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 3, wherein the trace system includes a second trace pad extending across the second staple pocket of the staple crimping pocket system such that a properly formed surgical staple completes the electrical circuit when in contact with the first and second trace pads.

5. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 3, further comprising an electrically resistive layer positioned between the trace system and anvil member.

6. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 3, further comprising an electrically resistive layer applied over the trace system.

7. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 3, wherein the anvil member forms a second trace pad for engagement with a leg of a surgical staple to complete the electrical circuit.

8. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 7, further comprising an electrically resistive layer applied over the anvil member, the electrically resistive layer having a window to expose the anvil member to the leg of the surgical staple.

9. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 2, wherein the trace system and the controller form a closed electrical circuit and a surgical staple interrupts the electrical circuit when the surgical staple is properly formed in the staple crimping pocket.

10. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 9, wherein the trace system includes a second trace pad extending across the second staple pocket of the staple crimping pocket system such that a properly formed surgical staple interrupts the electrical circuit when at least one of the first and second trace pads are broken by a leg of the staple.

11. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 10, wherein the trace system includes first and second conductive wires extending from opposed ends of the first trace pad.

12. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 10, wherein the trace system is electrically isolated from the anvil member by an electrically resistive layer.

13. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 12, wherein the trace system includes a first conductive wire extending from a first end of the first trace pad and a second end of the first trace pad forms an electrically conductive path to the anvil member through an opening in the electrically resistive layer.

14. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 11, wherein one of the conductive wires forms a common electrical path with one end of a second trace pad in the second staple pocket.

15. The staple formation recognition system as recited in claim 9, wherein the trace system includes multiple trace pads extending across the first staple pocket.

16. The staple formation recognition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a sequence of staple formation and qualities of individual staple formations and compare the sequence of staple formation and qualities of the individual staple formations to a predetermined sequence/array of qualities to determine at least one probability of a staple line failure.

17. The staple formation recognition system of claim 1, wherein the controller reads one or more properties of the trace system including resistance, inductance, impedance, or capacitance.

18. The staple formation recognition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect the relative position of a blade and compare the detected position with a sequence of staple formation to ensure that stapling and cutting is occurring within a predetermined tolerance.

19. The staple formation recognition system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of trace systems disposed upon each other, each being electrically insulated from each other by a resistive layer disposed between each trace system.

20. The staple formation recognition system of claim 1, wherein the first trace pad may be flat or shaped to follow a curvature of at least one of the staple pockets.