Tissue-fixing surgical device, and method of fixing tissues

• US 5,649,937 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Shuichi, Tsukagoshi, Tsuyoshi, Hirao, Isami, Tsuruta, Minoru, Suzuta, Toshihiko, Nakada, Akio, Kuramoto, Seiji, Bito, Shiro, Mukaizawa, Akito, Oozeki, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEONARDO, MARK
• Application Number:
  US08/461,987
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/140, 606/141, 606/142, 606/144, 606/148, 606/151, 606/154, 606/157
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/10 for applying or removing wound clamps, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068; Wound clamp magazines containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00, B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body

Abstract

A surgical instrument for fastening together opposing portions of a body organ. The instrument comprises a first support for supporting the first opposing portion of the body organ, a second support opposing the first support, for supporting the second opposing portion of the body organ, and a displacement-preventing member connected to the first or second support for preventing the supports from displacing relative to each other. The member comprises a pin protruding from one of the supports and a hole formed in the other of the supports. The pin is made of thermoplastic resin. When heated, the pins is softened and deformed, whereby the first and second supports are secured to each other, fastening together the opposing portions of the body organ.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for fastening together adjacent portions of a body tissue, comprising:

a staple having first support means for supporting one of the adjacent portions of the body tissue, second support means for supporting the other of the adjacent portions of the body tissue, and connecting means having a proximal end portion fastened to said first support means and a distal end portion, at least said distal end portion becoming soft when heated and fastened to said second support means when hardened after having been softened; and

an applicator having operation means for provisionally holding said first and second support means, for positioning said first support means at one of said adjacent portions of the body tissue, for positioning said second support means at the other of said adjacent portions and for causing said first and second support means to clamp the body tissue, thereby to align said distal end portion with said connecting means, and a heater for heating and softening the distal end portion of said connecting means, thereby to fastening the distal end portion of the connecting means to said second support means.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said staple is made of thermoplastic resin which is absorbable into the body tissue.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein at least of said first and second support means has a net-like member.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said fist support means has a net-like member, and the proximal end portion of said connecting has a head portion to be fastened to said net-like member.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said second support means has a net-like member, and the distal end portion of said connecting means is inserted into the net-like member when aligned with positioned at the net-like member.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said heater is movable.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said first and second support means are arranged in a circle and oppose each other.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said second support means has a ring into which said connecting means is to be fitted.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said first and second support means are two surfaces of a band-like member, respectively, which is wound around a tubular organ.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said heater has an ultrasonic oscillator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the distal end portion of said connecting means, thereby to heat the distal end portion of said connecting means.

11. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said heater has a laser probe for applying a laser beam to the distal end portion of said connecting means, thereby to heat the distal end portion of said connecting means.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, which further comprises further comprises another staple having first support means for supporting one of other two adjacent portions of the body tissue, second support means for supporting the other of the other two adjacent portions of the body tissue, and connecting means having a proximal end portion fastened to said first support means and a distal end portion, at least said distal end portion becoming soft when heated and fastened to said second support means when hardened after having been softened, and in which said applicator has knife means for cutting another portion of said body tissue, which connects the adjacent portions of said body tissue.

13. A staple for fastening together adjacent portions of a body tissue, comprising:

a first claw provided at one end of said staple body, for piercing into one of the adjacent portions of the body tissue;

a second claw provided at the other end of said staple body, for piercing into the other of the adjacent portions of the body tissue; and

means provided on said staple body and capable of being deformed when heated and being hardened when cooled.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein said staple is made of thermoplastic resin which is absorbable into the body tissue.

15. A method of applying a staple to body tissues by means of an applicator, comprising the steps of:

preparing a staple having legs made of thermoplastic resin and designed to pierce through the body tissues;

loading the staple in said applicator;

piercing the legs of said staple through the body tissue; and

heating and deforming the legs of said staple and leaving the legs to cool, thereby to fasten the staple to the body tissues.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said thermoplastic resin is absorbable into the body tissues.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said thermoplastic resin is compatible with the body tissues.

18. A method of applying a staple to a body tissue, thereby to fasten two adjacent portions of the body tissue, comprising the steps of:

preparing a staple comprising first support means having legs made of thermoplastic resin and designed to pierce into the body tissues, for supporting one of the adjacent portions of the body tissue, second support means for supporting the other of the adjacent portions of the body tissue;

loading the staple in an applicator;

piercing the legs of said first support means through the one of the adjacent portions of the body tissue;

connecting the legs of said first support means to said second support means; and

heating and deforming the legs of the first support means, thereby securing the legs to the second support means, and leaving the legs to cool, thereby to fasten the first and second support means to the body tissue.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first and second support means are made of thermoplastic resin which is absorbable into the body tissue.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first and second support means are made of thermoplastic resin which is compatible with the body tissue.

21. A surgical instrument for fastening together adjacent portions of a body tissue, comprising:

a staple having a piercing portion to pierce through the body tissue, a holding portion for holding the body tissue, and a deformable portion which is sharp enough to pierce through the body tissue and which is capable of being softened when supplied with energy and of being deformed; and

an applicator having operation means for causing the holding portion of said staple to hold the body tissue, and energy-supplying means for supplying energy to the deformable portion of said staple.

22. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple is softened when supplied with ultrasonic waves and is deformed.

23. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple is softened when supplied with a laser beam and is deformed.

24. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple is softened when supplied with heat from a heater and is deformed.

25. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple is bent when softened.

26. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple connects the piercing portion to the holding portion when softened.

27. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple collapses when softened.

28. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein the deformable portion of said staple is deformed to have a permanent shape when softened.

29. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein said applicator has second operation means for holding said staple.

30. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein said energy-supplying means comprises an ultrasonic oscillator and a rod for transmitting vibration from the ultrasonic oscillator to the deformable portion of said staple.

31. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein said energy-supplying means has an optical fiber for transmitting a laser beam to the deformable portion of said staple.

32. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, wherein said energy-supplying means has a heater for supplying heat to the deformable portion of said staple.

33. A method of applying a staple to body tissues by means of an applicator, comprising the steps of:

preparing a staple having a piercing portion made of thermoplastic resin and designed to pierce through the body tissue, a holding portion for holding the body tissue, and a deformable portion which is sharp enough to pierce through the body tissue and which is capable of generating heat supplied with energy and of being permanently deformed;

loading the staple in said applicator;

driving the piercing portion of said staple through the body tissue;

heating the deformable portion of said staple, thereby softening and deforming the deformable portion, and leaving the deformable portion to cool, thereby to fasten the staple to the body tissue.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said staple is made of thermoplastic resin which is absorbable into the body tissue.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein said staple is made of thermoplastic resin which is compatible with the body tissue.

36. A method of applying a staple to a body tissue, thereby to fasten two adjacent portions of the body tissue, comprising the steps of:

preparing a staple comprising first support means for supporting one of the adjacent portion of the body tissue, having a piercing portion which is made of thermoplastic resin and which is designed to pierce through the body tissue and a deformable portion which is sharp enough to pierce through the body tissue and which is capable of generating heat supplied with energy and of being permanently deformed, second support means for supporting the other of the adjacent portions of the body tissue;

loading the staple in an applicator;

piercing the piercing portion of said first support means through the one of the adjacent portions of the body tissue;

connecting the piercing portion of said first support means to said second support means; and

heating and deforming the deformable portion of the first support means, thereby securing the first support means to the second support means, and leaving the deformable portion to cool, thereby to fasten the first and second support means to the body tissue.