Disposable cartridge with adhesive for use with a stapling device

• US 7,721,930 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Thicon Endo-Surgery Incorporated
• Inventors: Conrad, Paul J., Ortiz, Mark S., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Byrum, Randal T., Timperman, Eugene L., McKenna, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada; Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOW, LINDSAY M
• Application Number:
  US11/558,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 2271751-1821, 227/19
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395

Abstract

A surgical stapling device is provided for clamping and stapling tissue, and for dispensing a fluid such as an adhesive onto the tissue. The adhesive can be stored within one or more rigid chambers within removable cartridge and dispensed from a plurality of passageways within the cartridge. A plurality of staples and staple drivers are located in the cartridge and may be isolated from the fluid. Both linear and rotary members can be provided to dispense the fluid from the cartridge. Alternately, the fluid can be dispensed from the cartridge at any time with an operator actuatable control. A removable staple cartridge cover can be provided to seal the fluid in the cartridge and prevent fluid loss. Alternately, a fluid cartridge can be provided that can mount within a surgical stapling device and dispense one or more firings of a fluid therefrom.

Claims

1. A surgical stapling device for clamping and stapling tissue comprising:

a) a shaft defining a longitudinal axis;

b) a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw extending from a distal end of the shaft to clamp tissue therebetween, the second clamping jaw movable from an open position for the reception of tissue to a closed position to clamp tissue between the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw;

c) a removable cartridge mounted in the first clamping jaw and having a tissue clamping surface thereon, the removable cartridge comprising;

i) a plurality of staples and staple ejection members therein,

ii) a fluid, and

iii) a cartridge dispensing system for dispensing the fluid from the clamping surface of the removable cartridge, the cartridge dispensing system having at least one rigid chamber defined by the removable cartridge and configured to be inaccessible to the staples and staple ejection members, the at least one rigid chamber being further configured with a substantially rigid rotatable member therein configured to pump fluid from the rigid chamber, the cartridge dispensing system further comprising a plurality of rigid fluid passageways operably connecting the at least one rigid chamber with the tissue clamping surface, the at least one rigid chamber and the plurality of rigid fluid passageways containing the fluid therein stored in direct contact with the removable cartridge and the substantially rigid rotatable member, and separate from contact with the plurality of staples and staple ejection members, wherein the substantially rigid rotatable member is rotatable about a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis;

d) a firing system within the surgical stapling device having a translating member, wherein the translating member is translatable along a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the translating member operably couples with the staples and staple ejection members when the firing system is actuated to eject the plurality of staples from the removable cartridge into clamped tissue and form the staples against the second clamping jaw, wherein the substantially rigid rotatable member is removably coupled with the translating member by a dog clutch mechanism; and

e) a fluid application system is at least partially contained within the shaft and operably coupling with the substantially rigid rotatable member in the removable cartridge and with the translating member when the removable cartridge is mounted in the first clamping jaw, wherein the fluid application system is operable to convert longitudinal translation of the translating member into rotation of the substantially rigid rotatable member about the axis of rotation, wherein when the fluid application system is actuated, the substantially rigid rotatable member of the cartridge dispensing system is rotated about the rotation axis in response to translation of the translating member along the direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis and fluid is dispensed from the removable cartridge onto tissue.

2. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein the fluid is one or more selected from a group consisting of a polymerizable monomer adhesive, a polymerizable 1,1-disubstituted ethylene monomer adhesive, a cyanoacrylate formulation adhesive, a drug, an adhesive initiator, a desiccant, a clotting agent, an image enhancing agent, and a therapeutic agent.

3. The surgical device of claim 2 wherein the removable cartridge includes a removable cartridge cover to seal the fluid passageways from fluid loss, wherein the removable cartridge cover is one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a) a removable tape;

b) a meltable film; and

c) a removable pouch.

4. The surgical device of claim 2 wherein the cartridge dispensing system further comprises a wiper blade driven by the substantially rigid rotatable member, wherein rotation of the rotatable member and wiper blade dispenses the fluid from the removable cartridge.

5. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member has one or more seals to prevent egress of the fluid therefrom.

6. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein the translating member of the firing system has a gear rack that operably couples with the rotatable member of the removable cartridge during firing to rotate the rotatable member and to dispense fluid from the removable cartridge with at least a portion of the firing stroke.

7. The surgical device of claim 6 wherein one or more actuations of the firing system dispense the fluid from the removable cartridge.

8. The surgical device of claim 4 wherein the dog clutch mechanism is operable to couple the rotatable wiper blade of the cartridge dispensing system with the translating member when the removable cartridge is placed within the first clamping jaw, wherein the dog clutch mechanism is further operable to decouple the rotatable wiper blade of the cartridge dispensing system from the translating member when the removable cartridge is removed from the first clamping jaw.

9. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein the fluid application system has an operator actuatable control operably coupled to the rotatable member and wiper blade of the cartridge dispensing system when the removable cartridge is placed within the first clamping jaw, wherein when the surgeon manually moves the control, fluid is dispensed from the fluid passageways and onto tissue between the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw.

10. The surgical device of claim 9 wherein an operator actuatable control has a gear rack that operably couples with the rotatable member to dispense the fluid from the removable cartridge.

14. The surgical stapling device of claim 1 wherein the surgical stapling device includes one or more RF electrodes for clamping on tissue and applying RF energy to the clamped tissue.

11. A removable fluid cartridge for use in a surgical stapling device for clamping and firing on tissue, the removable fluid cartridge comprising;

a) a fluid cartridge body having a tissue clamping surface, a hollow chamber, and a plurality of passageways operably connecting the hollow chamber to the tissue clamping surface, the fluid cartridge body further comprising a staple driver configured to eject a staple from the tissue clamping surface when the surgical stapling device is fired, wherein fluid cartridge body further comprises a first moving member movable along a slot formed in the cartridge body, wherein the slot extends in a longitudinal direction;

b) a fluid within the hollow chamber and the plurality of passageways of the fluid cartridge body, the fluid stored in contact with the fluid cartridge body and isolated from contact with the staple driver and staple by the fluid cartridge body; and

c) a fluid dispensing system within the cartridge body for dispensing the fluid from the plurality of passageways, wherein when the fluid cartridge is installed into the surgical stapling device, the fluid dispensing system is operably coupled with a staple firing system of the surgical stapling device such that firing the surgical stapling device moves the first moving member longitudinally along the slot in the fluid cartridge body and into contact with the staple driver to form the staple, wherein the fluid dispensing system further comprises at least one second moving member positioned in contact with the fluid in the chamber, the at least one second moving member being rotatable within the chamber to dispense the fluid onto tissue from the plurality of passageways, wherein the at least one second moving member is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first moving member is isolated from contact with the fluid by the fluid cartridge body, wherein the first moving member is also isolated from contact with the at least one second moving member by the fluid cartridge body;

wherein the fluid cartridge is operable to translate the first moving member in the longitudinal direction while simultaneously rotating the at least one second moving member about the rotation axis that extends in the longitudinal direction, to simultaneously form at least one staple and dispense the fluid from the plurality of passageways.

12. The surgical device of claim 11 wherein the fluid is one or more selected from a group consisting of a polymerizable monomer adhesive, a polymerizable 1,1-disubstituted ethylene monomer adhesive, a cyanoacrylate formulation adhesive, a drug, an adhesive initiator, a desiccant, a clotting agent, an image enhancing agent, and a therapeutic agent.

13. The surgical device of claim 11 wherein the fluid can be dispensed by one or more firing strokes of the staple firing system.