Buttress Attachment for Circular Stapling Device

• US 20140217148A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Penna, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/179.1
• 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 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• 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 17/115 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 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07257 characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

A circular stapling device includes a circular anvil assembly and a circular cartridge assembly. The anvil assembly includes a cap and head. The cap is movable relative to the head. The head supports a crush ring member that is movable into engagement with the cap to move the cap to an unapproximated position relative to the head to release a portion of an anvil buttress member supported between the anvil cap and the anvil head. The cartridge assembly includes a housing, a pusher member, a retaining ring member, and a fastener cartridge. The retaining ring member releasably secures a portion of a cartridge buttress member to one or both of the housing and the fastener cartridge. The retaining ring member releases the cartridge buttress member when the retaining ring member moves from a radially constricted condition to a radially expanded condition in response to a movement of the pusher member.

Claims

1. A circular stapling device, comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongate body that extends from the handle assembly;

a cartridge assembly mounted on a distal end portion of the elongate body, the cartridge assembly including;

a housing;

a pusher member supported within the housing and being movable between a first position and a second position;

a retaining ring member supported on the housing and being configured and arranged to move between a radially constricted condition and a radially expanded condition in response to movement of the pusher member; and

a fastener cartridge body supported on the housing and having a tissue engaging surface that extends to an annular edge; and

a circular cartridge buttress member having a body portion and an extension portion, the body portion being supported on the tissue engaging surface of the fastener cartridge body, the extension portion extending from the body portion and over the annular edge of the tissue engaging surface, the retaining ring member securing the extension portion against at least one of the fastener cartridge body and the housing when in the radially constricted condition, the retaining ring member releasing the radially extension portion when the retaining ring member moves to the expanded condition in response to a movement of the pusher member from the first position to the second position so that the body portion of the cartridge buttress separates from the tissue engaging surface of the fastener cartridge body.

2. The circular stapling device of claim 1, wherein the pusher member includes at least one ramp feature extending radially outward from an outer surface thereof, the at least one ramp feature moving the retaining ring member toward the radially expanded condition when the at least one ramp feature engages an inner surface of the retaining ring member.

3. The circular stapling device of claim 2, wherein the housing defines at least one channel that receives the at least one ramp, the at least one ramp being movable in the at least one channel.

4. The circular stapling device of claim 1, wherein the retaining ring member is a split ring.

5. The circular stapling device of claim 4, wherein the split ring includes a pair of ends, each end being disposed in at least relatively close approximation with one another when the split ring is disposed in the radially constricted condition, and wherein the ends separate from one another when the split ring is disposed in the radially expanded condition.

6. The circular stapling device of claim 4, wherein the split ring includes a plurality of spaced apart tabs extending from a top edge of a body of the split ring, the plurality of spaced apart tabs engaging a bottom surface of the fastener cartridge body, wherein a clearance is defined between adjacent tabs of the plurality of spaced apart tabs, the bottom surface of the fastener cartridge body, and the top edge of the body of the split ring, wherein the extension portion of the cartridge buttress member includes a plurality of sections, and wherein the clearance is adapted to receive at least one section of the extension portion to secure the at least one section of the extension portion between the fastener cartridge body and the split ring.

7. The circular stapling device of claim 6, wherein movement of the pusher member into engagement with the split ring expands the split ring radially outwardly and creates a radial clearance sufficient to release the at least one section of the extension portion from between the fastener cartridge body and the split ring so that the cartridge buttress member separates from the fastener cartridge body upon the firing of fasteners from the fastener retaining slots defined within the fastener cartridge body.

8. The circular stapling device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a cutout in an outer surface thereof within which the retaining ring member is seated when the retaining ring member is disposed in the radially constricted condition.

9. An anvil assembly, comprising:

a circular anvil head having a first engaging feature and supporting a crush ring member;

an anvil cap having a second engaging feature that connects with the first engaging feature of the anvil head to secure the anvil cap to the anvil head, the anvil cap being movable relative to the anvil head between an approximated position and an unapproximated position, the crush ring member being spaced from the second engaging feature when the anvil cap is disposed in the approximated position and movable into engagement with the second engaging feature to move the anvil cap to the unapproximated position; and

a circular anvil buttress member including a body portion and an extension portion that extends from the body portion, the body portion supported on a tissue engaging surface of the anvil head, the extension portion being secureable between the anvil cap and the anvil head when the anvil cap is disposed in the approximated position, the extension portion being releasable from between the anvil cap and the anvil head when the anvil cap is disposed in the unapproximated position so that the body portion separates from the tissue engaging surface of the anvil head.

10. The anvil assembly of claim 9, wherein the anvil cap includes a snap feature and the anvil head defines a first recess and a second recess, the snap feature being selectively positionable within one of the first recess and the second recess, the snap feature being positionable within the first recess when the anvil cap is disposed in the approximated position and being positionable within the second recess when the anvil cap is disposed in the unapproximated position.

11. The anvil assembly of claim 10, wherein the first recess and the second recess are separated by a ramped partition, the snap feature camming over the ramped partition as the anvil cap moves from the approximated position to the unapproximated position.

12. The anvil assembly of claim 11, wherein the snap feature flexes outwardly from the first recess as the snap feature cams over the ramped partition and flexes inwardly into the second recess after camming over the ramped partition, the snap feature maintaining the anvil cap secured to the anvil head when the snap feature is disposed in the second recess.

13. The anvil assembly of claim 9, wherein the anvil cap includes a plurality of spaced apart snap features.

14. The anvil assembly of claim 9, wherein the snap feature defines an opening disposed radially outwardly of the snap feature that permits the snap feature to flex outwardly relative to a body of the anvil cap.

15. The anvil assembly of claim 9, wherein in the unapproximated position, the anvil cap and the anvil head define a gap therebetween dimensioned to permit the extension portion to release from between the anvil cap and the anvil head.

16. The anvil assembly of claim 15, wherein in the approximated position, the gap is dimensioned to enable the anvil cap and the anvil head to trap the extension portion therebetween.

17. A method for releasing an anvil buttress member from an anvil assembly of a circular stapling device, comprising the steps of:

providing a circular stapling device including an elongate member having an end effector mounted on a distal end portion of the elongate body, the end effector including an anvil assembly, the anvil assembly including an anvil head and an anvil cap supporting an extension portion of an anvil buttress member therebetween so that a body portion of the anvil buttress member is supported on a tissue engaging surface of the anvil head; and

moving the anvil cap relative to anvil head to release the anvil buttress member from the anvil assembly.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

releasing the extension portion of the anvil buttress member from being trapped between the anvil cap and the anvil head.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of moving a crush ring member supported on the anvil head into engagement with the anvil cap to move the anvil cap relative to the anvil head.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of spacing the anvil cap and the anvil head relative to one another in response to engagement of the crush ring member with the anvil head to provide a gap between the anvil cap and the anvil head sufficient to enable the extension portion of the anvil buttress member to be released from between the anvil cap and the anvil head.