Surgical end effector having buttress retention features

• US 8,371,491 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Huitema, Thomas W., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Swayze, Jeffrey S., Morgan, Jerome R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOW, LINDSAY M
• Application Number:
  US12/032,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175, 227 1-1821, 227/19, 606/154, 606/151
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• 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 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00495 for two-component glue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/005 hardenable using external energy source, e.g. laser, ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00951 adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• 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 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/002 having adhesive means, e.g. an adhesive strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40

Abstract

A piece of buttress material and an end-effector of a surgical instrument including features which can aid a surgeon in properly and quickly attaching the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In various embodiments, a piece of buttress material can include retention features which can be engaged with portions of an end-effector to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to at least a portion of the end-effector. Similarly, an end-effector can include features configured to engage portions of a piece of buttress material to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In at least one embodiment, more than one piece of buttress material can be releasably retained to an end-effector.

Claims

1. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge including a deck, wherein said deck comprises a surface, a plurality of apertures defined by the surface, and a longitudinal slot substantially bifurcating the surface;

a blade positioned to traverse distally within the longitudinal slot;

an anvil including a face;

a first piece of buttress material including a first opening, wherein said first piece of buttress material is configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil on a first side of said longitudinal slot such that said first opening is substantially aligned with a first aperture selected from said apertures;

a second piece of buttress material including a second opening, wherein said second piece of buttress material is configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil on a second side of said longitudinal slot opposite said first piece of buttress material such that said second opening is substantially aligned with a second aperture selected from said apertures; and

first and second connection members, wherein the first connection member is configured to be positioned within said first opening and said first aperture to releasably retain said first piece of buttress material to said staple cartridge, wherein the second connection member is configured to be positioned within said second opening and said second aperture to releasably retain said second piece of buttress material to said staple cartridge, and wherein at least said first connection member-comprises;

a head comprising a perimeter that is larger than said first opening of said first buttress material, wherein said head is configured to engage said first buttress material and inhibit said first buttress material from lifting away from said deck surface when said first connection member is engaged with said first aperture; and

a body removably positioned within said first aperture, wherein said body comprises a perimeter smaller than the perimeter of the head and configured such that a sidewall of said first opening is configured to engage said body perimeter and inhibit said first buttress material from sliding along said deck surface, wherein said body comprises a first end coupled to said head and a second end to be received within said first aperture, wherein said first connection member head includes a portion that is flared away from said body, and wherein said head is detachable from said body when at least a portion of said first buttress material is detached from said staple cartridge.

2. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connection members, wherein a plurality of apertures are defined in said face, and wherein a third piece of buttress material includes a plurality of openings which are configured to be substantially aligned with said plurality of apertures such that said plurality of connection members can be inserted into said plurality of apertures and said plurality of openings to releasably retain said piece of buttress material to said anvil.

3. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member is configured to be disengaged from said first opening when said first piece of buttress material is detached from said staple cartridge.

4. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member is comprised of a bioabsorbable material.

5. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member is configured to remain within said first opening after said first piece of buttress material is detached from said staple cartridge.

6. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member is configured to be press-fit within said first aperture.

7. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member body includes threads configured to engage said first aperture.

8. The end-effector assembly of claim 7, wherein said threads include self-tapping threads.

9. The end-effector assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connection member body does not include threads.

10. An end-effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the end-effector assembly comprising:

a staple cartridge including a deck, wherein said deck comprises a surface, a plurality of apertures defined by the surface, and a longitudinal slot substantially bifurcating the surface;

a blade positioned to traverse distally within the longitudinal slot;

an anvil;

a first piece of buttress material including a first opening, wherein said first piece of buttress material is configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil on a first side of said longitudinal slot such that said first opening is substantially aligned with a first aperture selected from said apertures;

a second piece of buttress material including a second opening, wherein said second piece of buttress material is configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil on a second side of said longitudinal slot opposite said first piece of buttress material such that said second opening is substantially aligned with a second aperture selected from said apertures; and

a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably retain said first and second pieces of buttress material to said staple cartridge, wherein at least one of said fasteners comprises;

a body configured to engage said staple cartridge, wherein said body is configured to limit relative movement between said first buttress material and said staple cartridge in a first direction which is parallel to said deck surface; and

a head flared outwardly with respect to said body, wherein said head is configured to limit relative movement between said first buttress material and said staple cartridge in a second direction which is perpendicular to said deck surface, wherein said body comprises a perimeter smaller than the perimeter of the head and configured such that a sidewall of said first opening is configured to engage said body perimeter and inhibit said buttress material from sliding along said deck surface, wherein said body comprises a first end coupled to said head and a second end to be received within said first aperture, and wherein said fastener head includes a portion that is flared away from said body, and wherein said head is detachable from said body when at least a portion of said first buttress material is detached from said staple cartridge.

11. The end-effector assembly of claim 10, wherein said staple cartridge includes a plurality of apertures, wherein said fasteners are configured to be releasably press-fit within said apertures to retain said first and second pieces of buttress material to said staple cartridge.

12. The end-effector assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a third piece of buttress material configured to be positioned intermediate said staple cartridge and said anvil; and

a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably retain said piece of buttress material to said anvil.

13. The end-effector assembly of claim 10, wherein said fasteners are bioabsorbable.

14. The end-effector assembly of claim 10, wherein said fastener body includes threads configured to engage said first aperture.

15. The end-effector assembly of claim 14, wherein said threads include self-tapping threads.