STAPLE CARTRIDGE COMPRISING A COMPRESSIBLE PORTION

• US 20140224857A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Schmid, Katherine J.
• Application Number:
  US13/763,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• 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 2017/07242 achieving different staple heights during the same shot, e.g. using an anvil anvil having different heights or staples of different sizes

Abstract

A layer such as, for example, a tissue thickness compensator for an end effector of a surgical instrument can comprise compressible and non-compressible portions. The tissue thickness compensator can be positioned in the end effector such as adjacent to a deck surface of a fastener cartridge that is positioned in the end effector. The tissue thickness compensator can be maintained in a compressed state and can be released from the compressed state by a cutting member of the end effector.

Claims

1. A staple cartridge assembly, comprising:

a cartridge body, comprising;

a deck; and

a plurality of staples movable between unfired positions and fired positions;

a compressible tissue thickness compensator, wherein said staples are configured to at least partially capture said tissue thickness compensator when said staples are moved between said unfired positions and said fired positions;

compression means for releasably maintaining said tissue thickness compensator in a compressed state; and

expansion means for allowing said tissue thickness compensator to expand from said compressed state.

2. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein said compression means comprises at least one binding member.

3. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 2, wherein said binding member comprises a plurality of straps.

4. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 3, wherein said expansion means comprises a cutting member configured to cut said straps.

5. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein each said staple, in said unfired position, comprises a staple height, and wherein said tissue thickness compensator, in said compressed state, comprises a thickness less than said staple height.

6. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein said tissue thickness compensator comprises:

a first layer comprised of a first biocompatible material;

a second layer comprised of a second biocompatible material; and

a third layer comprised of said first biocompatible material.

7. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 6, wherein said first biocompatible material comprises a first density, wherein said second biocompatible material comprises a second density, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

8. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an anvil; and

a cartridge assembly, comprising;

a cartridge body, comprising;

a deck; and

a plurality of staples movable between unfired positions and fired positions;

a compressible tissue thickness compensator, wherein said staples are configured to at least partially capture said tissue thickness compensator when said staples are moved between said unfired positions and said fired positions; and

a binding member for releasably maintaining said tissue thickness compensator in a compressed state after said staples have been moved to said fired positions.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein said binding member at least partially surrounds said tissue thickness compensator in said compressed state.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein said binding member comprises a plurality of straps.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 8 further comprising a cutting member for releasing said tissue thickness compensator from said compressed state by cutting said binding member.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein each said binding member comprises a suture.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8 further comprising a releasing member for releasing said tissue thickness compensator from said compressed state.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein said tissue thickness compensator comprises:

a first layer comprised of a first biocompatible material;

a second layer comprised of a second biocompatible material; and

a third layer comprised of said first biocompatible material.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said first biocompatible material comprises a first density, wherein said second biocompatible material comprises a second density, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

16. A cartridge assembly, comprising:

a cartridge body, comprising;

a deck; and

a plurality of staples movable between unfired positions and fired positions; and

a compressible tissue thickness compensator releasably maintained in a compressed state, wherein said staples are configured to at least partially capture said tissue thickness compensator in said compressed state when said staples are moved between said unfired positions and said fired positions.

17. The cartridge assembly of claim 16 further comprising a binding member for releasably maintaining said tissue thickness compensator in said compressed state.

18. The cartridge assembly of claim 17, wherein said binding member comprises a plurality of straps.

19. The cartridge assembly of claim 18 further comprising a cutting member configured to release said tissue thickness compensator from said compressed state by cutting said straps.

20. The cartridge assembly of claim 18, wherein each said strap comprises a suture.

21. The cartridge assembly of claim 16 further comprising a releasing member for releasing said tissue thickness compensator from said compressed state.

22. The cartridge assembly of claim 16, wherein said tissue thickness compensator comprises:

a first layer comprised of a first biocompatible material;

a second layer comprised of a second biocompatible material; and

a third layer comprised of said first biocompatible material.

23. The cartridge assembly of claim 22, wherein said first biocompatible material comprises a first density, wherein said second biocompatible material comprises a second density, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

24. A staple cartridge assembly for use in stapling a patient'"'"'s tissue, said staple cartridge assembly comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a plurality of staples movable between undeformed and deformed configurations, wherein each said staple defines a compression zone in said deformed configuration; and

a tissue thickness compensator releasably maintained in a compressed state, wherein said staples are configured to at least partially capture the patient'"'"'s tissue and said tissue thickness compensator within said compression zones of said staples when said staples are moved to said deformed configurations, and wherein the patient'"'"'s tissue within said compression zone is subjected to a greater compression when said tissue thickness compensator is released from said compressed state.

25. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 24, wherein said compression zone defines a gap configured to be filled with said tissue thickness compensator when said tissue thickness compensator is released from said compressed state.