Surgical Apparatus Including Surgical Buttress

• US 20140151431A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hodgkinson, Gerald N., Prior, Scott J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,295,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• 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 17/07292 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 17/3209 Incision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• 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

Abstract

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a housing and an end effector secured to the housing. The housing supports a knife assembly including a knife. The end effector has first and second jaw members. One or both of the first and second jaw members define a knife channel. The first jaw member defines fastener slots and the second jaw member defines fastener pockets. One or more of the knife channel, the fastener slots, and the fastener pockets includes lateral recesses. Fasteners are disposed in the fastener slots and formed by the fastener pockets. One or more surgical buttresses have a body that overlies one or both of the fastener slots and the fastener pockets. Portions of the body of the one or more surgical buttresses are disposed within the lateral recesses to secure the one or more surgical buttresses to one or both of the first jaw member and the second jaw member.

Claims

1. A surgical stapling apparatus, comprising:

an end effector having first and second jaw member assemblies, at least one of the first and second jaw member assemblies defining a knife channel for the passage of the knife therethrough, the knife channel including a plurality of lateral recesses extending therefrom, wherein the first jaw member assembly defines a plurality of fastener retaining slots, the second jaw member assembly defining a plurality of fastener forming pockets;

a plurality of fasteners disposed in the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly and being configured and dimensioned to be deformed by the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly; and

at least one surgical buttress having a body configured and dimensioned to substantially overlie at least one of at least some of the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly, at least some of the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly, or both;

wherein portions of the body of the at least one surgical buttress are disposed within the plurality of lateral recesses of the knife channel to secure the at least one surgical buttress to at least one of the first jaw member assembly and the second jaw member assembly.

2. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one surgical buttress is a non-woven material.

3. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lateral recess of the knife channel is defined by a plurality of walls, at least two of the plurality of walls of at least one of the lateral recesses tapering in opposing directions relative to one another from a buttress receiving end of the respective lateral recess to form a flared configuration that increases a retention of a flared plug of the body of the at least one surgical buttress within the respective lateral recess.

4. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second plurality of lateral recesses extend from at least one of the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly, the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly, or both;

wherein portions of the body of the at least one surgical buttress are disposed within the second plurality of lateral recesses to secure the at least one surgical buttress to at least one of first jaw member assembly and the second jaw member assembly.

5. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lateral recess extends substantially orthogonally to a longitudinal axis defined through the end effector.

6. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein portions of the body of the at least one surgical buttress are heat pressed into the lateral recesses.

7. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one surgical buttress is made from a material selected from the group comprising polyglytone 6211, glycolide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, lactide and combinations thereof.

8. An end effector for a surgical stapling apparatus, comprising:

a first jaw member assembly defining fastener retaining slots;

a second jaw member assembly defining fastener forming pockets;

fasteners disposed in the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly and being configured and dimensioned to be formed by the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly;

at least one lateral recess extending from at least one of the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly, at least one of the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly, or both; and

at least one surgical buttress having a body configured and dimensioned to substantially overlie at least one of the fastener retaining slots of the first jaw member assembly, at least one of the fastener forming pockets of the second jaw member assembly, or both;

a portion of the body of the at least one surgical buttress being disposed within the at least one lateral recess to secure the at least one surgical buttress to at least one of the first jaw member assembly and the second jaw member assembly.

9. The end effector of claim 8, wherein the at least one surgical buttress is a non-woven material.

10. The end effector of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second jaw member assemblies defines a knife channel therethrough, the knife channel including at least one lateral recess extending therefrom for the reception of a portion of the at least one surgical buttress.

11. The end effector of claim 10, wherein each lateral recess is defined by a plurality of walls, at least two of the plurality of walls of at least one of the lateral recesses tapering in opposing directions relative to one another from a buttress receiving end of the respective lateral recess to form a flared configuration that increases a retention of a flared plug of the body of the at least one surgical buttress within the respective lateral recess.

12. The end effector of claim 8, wherein the at least one lateral recess extends substantially orthogonally to a longitudinal axis defined through the end effector.

13. The end effector of claim 8, wherein portions of the body of the at least one surgical buttress are heat pressed into the at least one lateral recess.

14. The end effector of claim 8, wherein the at least one surgical buttress is made from a material selected from the group comprising polyglytone 6211, glycolide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, lactide and combinations thereof.

15. A method of attaching a surgical buttresses to the anvil assembly or the cartridge assembly of a surgical stapler, comprising:

depositing an interlocking material onto a buttress body at one or more predetermined locations;

applying heat to the buttress body to generate melt flow conditions of the interlocking material;

allowing a portion of the interlocking material at each of the predetermined locations to pass into at least one lateral recess defined in the cartridge assembly or anvil assembly; and

solidifying the interlocking material so that the interlocking material mechanically interlocks within the at least one lateral recess.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the interlocking material is overmolded onto the buttress body.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the interlocking material is a degradable polymer.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the buttress body is porous.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising allowing the interlocking material to solidify within pores of the buttress body.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising applying pressure to the interlocking material, the buttress body, or both.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein a portion of the degradable polymer is passed into the pores defined in the buttress body as the interlocking material is passed into the at least one lateral recess.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising applying heat to solidify the interlocking material.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the interlocking material has a melting temperature below that of buttress body.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the interlocking material is a degradable polymer including one or more of the following:

glycolide, glycolic acid, lactic acid, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, and lactide.