Apparatus and method for producing a reinforced surgical fastener suture line
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for equipping a surgical fastener applying device to provide reinforced surgical fastener suture lines, comprising:
- (a) a alignment means having at least one guide channel and a receiving area, said at least one guide channel being open to said receiving area;
(b) pressure equalization means disposed within said receiving area of said alignment means; and
(c) at least one article of pledget material disposed within said receiving area in juxtaposed relation with said pressure equalization means and positioned so as to be generally co-aligned with said at least one guide channel.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for providing reinforced surgical fastener suture lines to prevent tissue tearing and fluid leakage following the creation of an anastomosis, the closing of margins following the removal of diseased tissue, and/or the ligating and dividing of individual blood vessels. A retainer assembly is provided having an alignment frame and a pressure equalization member. The alignment frame includes an internally disposed receiving area for housing the pressure equalization member and a pair of guide channels disposed in fluid communication with the receiving area for guiding the jaw members of a surgical fastener applying device into contact with pledget material disposed within the receiving area. Any number of surgical fastener applying devices may be retrofitted to provide reinforced surgical fastener suture lines by applying an adhesive along the length of the pledget material, positioning the jaw members of a surgical fastener applying device within the guide channels, and closing the surgical fastener applying device such that the jaw members are brought into compressed contact with the adhesive-laden pledget material. The surgical fastener applying device may then be opened with the pledget material releasibly attached to the jaw members, the jaw members positioned about a section of body tissue, and the surgical fastener applying device fired to create a reinforced suture line boasting reduced tissue tearing and reduced fluid leakage.
2060 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for equipping a surgical fastener applying device to provide reinforced surgical fastener suture lines, comprising:
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(a) a alignment means having at least one guide channel and a receiving area, said at least one guide channel being open to said receiving area; (b) pressure equalization means disposed within said receiving area of said alignment means; and (c) at least one article of pledget material disposed within said receiving area in juxtaposed relation with said pressure equalization means and positioned so as to be generally co-aligned with said at least one guide channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A surgical kit for facilitating application of an article of pledget material to the apposed working surfaces of a surgical fastener applying device for producing reinforced surgical fastener suture lines, comprising:
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an alignment means; at least one article of pledget material having a shape that generally complements the shape of said working surface of said surgical fastener applying device; pressure equalization means disposed in said alignment means for supporting and equalizing the pressure applied to said at least one article of pledget material during contact with said working surface of said surgical fastener applying device; and means for temporarily securing said at least one article of said pledget material to said working surface of said surgical fastener applying device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for providing reinforced surgical fastener suture lines, comprising:
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retainer means having means for retaining at least one article of pledget material, means for guiding a working surface of a surgical fastener applying device into contact with said at least one article of pledget material, and means for uniformly applying said at least one article of pledget material onto said working surface of said surgical fastener applying device; and means for releasibly attaching said at least one article of pledget material to said working surface of said surgical fastener applying device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of retrofitting surgical fastener applying devices to produce reinforced surgical fastener suture lines, said surgical fastener applying device having a pair of apposed working surfaces, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing retaining means for releasibly retaining an article of pledget material in physical contact with pressure equalization means; (b) providing means for releasibly attaching said article of pledget material to one of said pair of apposed working surfaces of said surgical fastener applying device; and (c) releasibly attaching said article of pledget material on one of said pair of apposed working surfaces of said surgical fastener applying device. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification