Crimp and release of suture holding buttress material

• US 8,157,149 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Olson, Lee, Aranyi, Ernie, Mozdzierz, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lopez, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US13/179,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/176.1, 227/181.1, 227/19, 606/142, 606/151, 606/219
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• 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 2017/07214 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: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for crimping and releasing a suture securing a strip of buttress material to an end effector. The mechanism includes a retention member movably mounted within the end effector. The retention member is movable from a first position crimping the suture to the end effector to a second position releasing the suture from the end effector. The mechanism additionally includes a follower member, engageable with the retention member, and movable in response to actuation of a surgical instrument to move the retention member between the first and second positions. A lock mechanism is also provided to secure the retention member in the first position. The follower member operates to disengage the lock mechanism.

Claims

1. An end effector assembly operatively connected to a handle of a surgical instrument, the end effector assembly comprising:

a first member having an underside, a topside, and a channel defined in the topside of the first member;

a retention member disposed within the channel of the first member and configured to translate longitudinally through the channel between a first position and a second position, the retention member including at least one flexible arm, the at least one flexible arm transitionable between a constrained condition and an expanded condition when the retention member is translated from the first position to the second position, wherein the retention member maintains a strip of buttress material positioned against a face of the first member when the retention member is in the second position and releases the strip of buttress material when the retention member is in the first position; and

a follower disposed within the channel of the first member and translatable through the channel, the follower configured to engage the retention member to transition the retention member from the expanded condition to the constrained condition.

2. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible arm is biased towards the expanded condition.

3. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible arm includes an outwardly extending tab adapted to engage a side wall of the channel when the retention member is in the second position and the at least one flexible arm is in the expanded condition.

4. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retention member extends at least partially out of the channel.

5. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the retention member is adapted to secure a retention component against the first member.

6. An end effector assembly according to claim 5, wherein the retention member further includes a bar member, the at least one flexible arm extending from a proximal portion of the bar member and a push plate extending from a distal portion of the bar member, the push plate adapted to secure the retention component against the first member when the retention member is in the second position.

7. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the follower includes at least one leg adapted to engage the at least one flexible arm.

8. An end effector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the follower is adapted to transition the retention member from the second position to the first position after the follower engages the retention member.

9. An end effector assembly operatively connectable to a surgical instrument, the end effector assembly comprising:

a first member;

a strip of buttress material positionable against a face of the first member;

a retention component positionable across the strip of buttress material to removably secure the buttress material against the face of the first member; and

a retention member configured to translate through the first member between a first position and a second position, the retention member configured to removably secure the retention component to the first member when in the second position and to release the retention component from the first member when in the first position, the retention member including at least one flexible arm transitionable from an expanded condition to a constrained condition upon actuation of the surgical instrument to allow the retention member to translate from the second position to the first position, the retention member being locked in the second position when the at least one flexible arm is in the expanded condition.

10. An end effector assembly according to claim 9, wherein the retention component has a backspan and a pair of ends extending from the backspan, the backspan being positionable across at least a portion of the strip of buttress material with the pair of ends extending into a respective space defined by the first member.

11. An end effector assembly according to claim 10, wherein the retention member is adapted to removably secure the pair of ends of the retention component to the first member.

12. An end effector assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one flexible arm includes an outwardly extending tab, the outwardly extending tab configured to engage the first member to lock the retention member in the second position when the at least one flexible arm is in the expanded condition.

13. An end effector assembly according to claim 9, wherein the end effector assembly further includes a follower, the follower configured to translate through the first member upon actuation the surgical instrument to engage the retention member and transition the at least one flexible arm from the expanded condition to the constrained condition.

14. An end effector assembly for use with a surgical instrument, the end effector assembly comprising:

a first member including a channel;

a retention member disposed within the channel of the first member and configured to translate longitudinally through the channel between a first position and a second position, the retention member including at least one flexible arm transitionable between a constrained condition and an expanded condition when the retention member is translated between the first position and the second position and configured to lock the retention member in the second position when in the expanded condition, the retention member configured to removably secure a retention component to the first member when in the second position, wherein the retention component maintains a strip of buttress material positioned against a face of the first member when the retention component is removably secured to the first member, wherein the end effector assembly further includes a follower disposed in the channel of the first member and longitudinally translatable through the channel, the follower configured to engage the retention member to transition the at least one flexible arm from the expanded condition to the constrained condition.

15. An end effector assembly according to claim 14, wherein the follower is adapted to receive a knife member of the surgical instrument at a proximal portion, knife member adapted to translate the follower towards the retention member until the follower engages the retention member, the knife member adapted to translate the follower and the retention member from the second position to the first position after the follower engages the retention member.

16. An end effector assembly operatively connected to a handle of a surgical instrument, the end effector assembly comprising:

a first member having an underside, a topside, and a channel defined in the topside of the first member;

a retention member disposed within the channel of the first member and configured to translate longitudinally through the channel between a first position and a second position, the retention member including at least one flexible arm, the at least one flexible arm transitionable between a constrained condition and an expanded condition when the retention member is translated from the first position to the second position, wherein the retention member maintains a strip of buttress material positioned against a face of the first member when the retention member is in the second position and releases the strip of buttress material when the retention member is in the first position,

wherein the retention member is configured to secure a retention component against the first member,

wherein the retention member further includes a bar member, the at least one flexible arm extending from a proximal portion of the bar member and from a push plate extending from a distal portion of the bar member, the push plate configured to secure the retention component against the first member when the retention member is in the second position.