Varying tissue compression aided by elastic members

• US 8,292,156 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kostrzewski, Stanislaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US13/414,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20120160895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/176.1, 227/175.1, 227/180.1, 227/178.1, 606/139, 606/219
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0725 with settable gap between anvil and cartridge, e.g. for different staple heights at different shots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2932 Transmission of forces to jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to surgical fastener applying apparatus, and the application of variable compression to tissue. More specifically, the presently disclosed surgical fastener applying apparatus including a first jaw having proximal and distal ends and including an anvil member, the anvil member extending along a longitudinal axis and including a tissue contacting surface and a second jaw having proximal and distal ends movably coupled to the first jaw, the second jaw including a cartridge member and a channel. The surgical fastener applying apparatus further includes a pair of elastic members positioned between the cartridge member and the channel of the second jaw, the pair of elastic members configured and dimensioned to apply and maintain constant compressive forces to tissue regardless of tissue thickness.

Claims

1. A surgical fastener applying apparatus, comprising:

a first jaw having proximal and distal ends and including an anvil member, the anvil member extending along a longitudinal axis;

a second jaw having a channel and a cartridge member disposed in the channel, the cartridge member having a plurality of surgical staples, the second jaw being movably coupled to the first jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw having an open position and a closed position; and

elastic material positioned between the cartridge member and the channel of the second jaw, the elastic material applying compressive forces to tissue clamped between the anvil member and the cartridge member when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the closed position, the elastic material being compressed when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the closed position to create a tissue gap according to a generated clamping force, the plurality of surgical staples being formed against the anvil member to a desired staple formation.

2. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic material comprises one or more elastic members.

3. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 2, wherein the elastic material comprises a first elastic member disposed on a first lateral side of the channel and a second elastic member disposed on a second lateral side of the channel.

4. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 2, wherein the staple formation is independent of tissue compression.

5. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein longitudinal relative movement between the cartridge member and the channel is fully restricted.

6. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein transversal movement between the cartridge member and the channel is permitted.

7. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transversal movement is determined by a size of the cartridge member and the channel.

8. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the open position, the elastic material maintains the cartridge member separate from the channel.

9. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is formed of a substantially resilient material to support layers of tissue positioned between the first and second jaws.

10. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is fixedly secured to the cartridge member.

11. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is releasably secured to the cartridge member.