Steerable surgical stapler

• US 20080283577A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Boyden, Edward S., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rivet, Dennis J. II
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/181.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00402 Piezo electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00871 polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible

Abstract

Embodiments include a surgical device and a method. An embodiment of the surgical instrument includes at least one grasping jaw, the at least one grasping jaw being adapted to deliver surgical staples by a force generated from a force generator mechanism that is contained within the at least one grasping jaw or is in a proximity to the at least one grasping jaw. Another embodiment includes at least one grasping jaw, at least one delivery mechanism adapted to deliver surgical fasteners, the delivery mechanism being located in a proximity to or contained within the at least one grasping jaw, the surgical fasteners containing at least one shape-transforming material, at least one sensor, at least one chemical tissue sealant and at least one cutter. A method includes: grasping a body organ/tissue with at least one grasping jaw, adjusting a configuration of the grasping in response to a signal or a datum or an image, and releasing a surgical staple/fastener in response to the signal, datum or image.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

at least one grasping jaw, said at least one grasping jaw being adapted to deliver surgical staples responsive to an actuation force; and

a force generator mechanism that is contained within said at least one grasping jaw or is in a proximity to said at least one grasping jaw, said force generator mechanism being coupled to said grasping jaw and responsive to an input signal to independently produce said actuation force.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one grasping jaw is configured to movably operate in an opposing manner with respect to at least one other grasping jaw.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one grasping jaw is configured to operably mate with at least one other grasping jaw.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one grasping jaw is configured to serve as an anvil for forming an interaction surface between at least one surgical staple and bodily tissues, said forming being facilitated by reversible mating and unmating of said anvil with an opposite grasping jaw.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said force generated from said force generator mechanism is communicated to a medium resulting in the release of at least one surgical staple.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said force generated from said force generator mechanism results in delivery of one or more linear rows of surgical staples.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising at least one energy module, said energy module includes at least one of a battery, a capacitor, a fuel cell, a mechanical energy storage device, and/or a fluid energy storage device.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein said energy module transmits energy through a wireless device.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor includes an image-acquisition device.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said sensor includes an illumination device that is operably coupled to at least one image-acquisition device.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 19 wherein said image-acquisition device is wirelessly coupled to at least one visual display.

22. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor includes a proximity detector.

23. The surgical instrument of claim 22, wherein said proximity detector is adapted to detect proximity of a biological tissue to said surgical instrument.

35. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor provides a force feedback signal to a force generator mechanism.

5. (canceled)

9-12. -12. (canceled)

15-16. -16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

24-34. -34. (canceled)

36-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A surgical instrument comprising:

a flexually deformable and steerable shaft operably connected to at least one grasping jaw having a force generator mechanism that is contained within said at least one grasping jaw or is in a proximity to said at least one grasping jaw, said flexually deformable and steerable shaft being controllably deformable to permit a high degree of maneuverability of said surgical instrument.

52. The surgical instrument of claim 51, wherein said flexually deformable and steerable shaft contains at least one shape-transforming material.

53. The surgical instrument of claim 51, wherein said flexually deformable and steerable shaft is enclosed in a bendable and steerable tube or a sheath.

54. The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein said at least one shape-transforming material contains a shape memory alloy.

55. The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein said at least one shape-transforming material includes at least one of titanium, nickel, zinc, copper, aluminum, cadmium, platinum, iron, manganese, cobalt, gallium and/or tungsten.

56. The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein said at least one shape-transforming material is preconfigured to a particular application and to a body part geometry.

58. The surgical instrument of claim 54, wherein said shape memory alloy includes Nitinol™

.

59. The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein said at least one shape-transforming material includes electro-active polymer.

60. The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein said at least one shape-transforming material includes at least one mechanically reconfigurable material.

61. The surgical instrument of claim 51, wherein said flexually deformable and steerable shaft being controllably deformable to permit a high degree of maneuverability of said surgical instrument includes controllable deformation of said shaft that is mediated by at least one of a temperature profile, a pressure profile, an electrical circuitry, a magnetic profile, an acoustic wave profile and/or an electro-magnetic radiation profile.

65. The surgical instrument of claim 51, wherein said surgical instrument is a surgical stapler that is adapted to deliver biodegradable staples, fasteners, pins or ties.

66. The surgical instrument of claim 51, wherein said surgical instrument is a surgical stapler that is adapted to deliver non-biodegradable staples, fasteners, pins or ties.

67. The surgical instrument of claim 51, further comprising at least one grasping jaw having a proximity detector.

68. The surgical instrument of claim 67, wherein said proximity detector is adapted to detect whether a biological tissue is partly within grasping distance of said grasping jaw.

69. The surgical instrument of claim 67, wherein said proximity detector is adapted to detect whether a biological tissue is fully within grasping distance of said grasping jaw.

70. The surgical instrument of claim 67, wherein said proximity detector is operably configured to assess whether an entire or a portion of a bodily organ is fully or partly grasped within said grasping jaw.

71. The surgical instrument of claim 51, further comprising at least one grasping jaw that is fully redeployable following at least one grasp-and-release cycle in a grasping operation of a biological tissue and/or bodily organ.

72. The surgical instrument of claim 51, further comprising at least one grasping jaw that is independently maneuverable from an attached shaft and/or a sheath.

57. (canceled)

62-64. -64. (canceled)

73. A surgical instrument comprising:

at least one grasping jaw;

a force receiver adapted to receive manual force from a user; and

an actuation mechanism responsive to said manual force to produce a jaw-laden force without mechanically coupling said manual force to said grasping jaw.

74. The surgical instrument of claim 73, wherein said force receiver includes at least one sensor.

75. The surgical instrument of claim 74, wherein said at least one sensor is operably coupled to said actuation mechanism.

76. The surgical instrument of claim 74, wherein said at least one sensor receives a signal from said actuation mechanism through a wireless medium.

77. The surgical instrument of claim 74, wherein said at least one sensor transmits a signal to said actuation mechanism through a wireless medium.

78. The surgical instrument of claim 73, wherein said manual force from a user includes a user-activated sensory device, tactile device or audio-sensitive device that transmits a signal to said force receiver.

79. The surgical instrument of claim 73, wherein said jaw-laden force without mechanically coupling includes force carried through a wireless medium, an etherereal medium or other intangible media.

80. The surgical instrument of claim 73, wherein said actuation mechanism converts a manual force from said force receiver to said jaw-laden force.

81. The surgical instrument of claim 73, wherein said jaw-laden force results in release of at least one surgical stapler and/or surgical fastener.

82-271. -271. (canceled)

272. A method of splicing body organs/tissues comprising:

grasping a body organ/tissue with at least one grasping jaw;

adjusting a configuration of said grasping in response to a signal or a datum or an image; and

releasing a surgical staple/fastener in response to said signal, datum or image.

273. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein grasping a body organ/tissue includes performing end-to-end anastomosis, side-to-side anastomosis, individual ligation, endoscopic or laparoscopic gastro-intestinal operations which include at least one of a bronchus, a pulmonary artery, a pulmonary vein, a large or small intestine, a stomach, a blood vessel and/or skin.

274. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein said grasping a body organ/tissue includes aligning said body organs between said at least one grasping jaw in a manner compatible with surgical and/or anastomosis operations.

275. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein said grasping a body organ/tissue includes displaying an image of said organ/tissue.

279. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein said releasing a surgical staple/fastener includes deformation of one or more staple/fasteners that undergo a conformational change to close a puncture site.

280. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein said releasing a surgical staple/fastener includes closing at least one or more wound sites.

281. The method of splicing body organs/tissues of claim 272, wherein said releasing a surgical staple/fastener includes releasing a suitable amount of a chemical tissue sealant that permits wound healing.

276-278. -278. (canceled)

282. (canceled)