SURGICAL STAPLER

• US 20160345971A1
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bolder Surgical, LLC (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: JustRight Surgical, LLC (Hologic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bucciaglia, Joseph D., Lyle, Allison B., Schneider, Robert N., Granger, Richard N., Smith, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,143,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07221 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07257 characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter

Abstract

A surgical stapler, a cartridge for a surgical stapler, a cutting mechanism for a surgical stapler, and a method of applying surgical staples in a patient are disclosed herein. The stapler may have an anvil movably coupled to a support jaw between a clamped configuration and a closed configuration. The cartridge may be configured to fit within an envelope diameter and to removably house a plurality of B-form staples, at least one of the plurality of B-form staples having a base length and a leg length, the leg length at least 53% of the envelope diameter. The cartridge may have slots shaped to house at least a second one of the plurality of staples at an angle oblique to the first one of the plurality of staples.

Claims

1. A cartridge for a surgical stapler, comprising:

an elongated body configured to fit within an envelope diameter and to removably house a plurality of B-form staples, at least one of the plurality of B-form staples having a base length and a leg length, the leg length at least 53% of the envelope diameter;

a first slot shaped to receive a translating cutting mechanism;

a second slot shaped to house at least a first one of the plurality of staples; and

a third slot shaped to house at least a second one of the plurality of staples at an angle oblique to the first one of the plurality of staples.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a curved tissue clamping interface; and

wherein

the oblique angle is between about 4 degrees and about 30 degrees.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

the second slot is shaped to translatably house at least a first staple pusher;

the third slot is shaped to translatably house at least a second staple pusher; and

the second slot and the third slot are configured to limit the first staple pusher to translation at an angle oblique to translation of the second staple pusher.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

the second slot is shaped to translatably house at least a first staple pusher shaped to support at least the first one of the plurality of staples and a third one of the plurality of staples parallel to the first one of the plurality of staples;

the third slot is shaped to translatably house at least a second staple pusher oblique to the first staple pusher, the second staple pusher shaped to support at least the second one of the plurality of staples and a fourth one of the plurality of staples parallel to the second one of the plurality of staples.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein one of:

at least one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 3.42 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less;

or

at least one of the plurality of staples has a nominal leg length of 4.72 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 8.6 mm or less.

6. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein:

the second slot is shaped to slidably receive a first longitudinally translating cam to effectuate a sliding motion of the first staple pusher; and

the third slot is shaped to slidably receive a second longitudinally translating cam to effectuate a sliding motion of the second staple pusher oblique to the sliding motion of the first staple pusher.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

the cartridge comprises a curved tissue clamping interface; and

the cartridge is configured to position at least one of the plurality of staples at an angle normal to the curved tissue clamping interface.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein:

the curved tissue clamping interface is curved about a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongated body; and

the curved tissue clamping interface has a radius of between 40% and 60% of the envelope diameter.

9. The cartridge of claim 8, wherein:

the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less; and

at least one of

(a) at least the first one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 3.42 mm or greater;

or

(b) at least the first one of the plurality of staples is configured to form about tissue clamped to a thickness greater than 1.5 mm.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein one of:

at least the first one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 3.42 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less;

or

at least the first one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 4.72 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 8.6 mm or less.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

at least the first one of the plurality of staples is configured to staple about tissue clamped up to a tissue thickness; and

the tissue thickness is at least 20% of the envelope diameter.

12. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein:

the tissue thickness is between about 22% and about 36% of the envelope diameter.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a recess for coupling to a cartridge support jaw; and

wherein one of

the cartridge and the support jaw are shaped to fit within an envelope diameter of 5.6 mm or less;

or

the cartridge and the support jaw are shaped to fit within an envelope diameter of 8.6 mm or less.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a curved tissue clamping interface.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of staples has a leg length that is at least 61% of the envelope diameter.

16. A surgical stapler, comprising:

an anvil movably coupled to a support jaw between a clamped configuration wherein the anvil and the support jaw are configured to clamp tissue positioned therebetween, and a closed configuration wherein a tissue clamping interface in the anvil abuts a tissue clamping interface in the cartridge;

wherein

the support jaw comprises a cartridge having an elongated body configured to removably house a plurality of B-form staples,

at least one of the plurality of B-form staples having a base length and a leg length,

the cartridge further comprising a first slot shaped to receive a translating cutting mechanism, a second slot shaped to house at least a first one of the plurality of staples, and a third slot shaped to house at least a second one of the plurality of staples at an angle oblique to the first one of the plurality of staples;

the anvil and the support jaw comprising the cartridge are shaped to fit within an envelope diameter when in the closed configuration; and

the leg length of the at least one of the plurality of B-form staples is at least 53% of the envelope diameter.

17. The stapler of claim 16, wherein:

the third slot is shaped to house the second one of the plurality of staples at an angle of between about 4 degrees and about 30 degrees relative to the first one of the plurality of staples.

18. The stapler of claim 16, wherein:

the second slot is shaped to translatably house at least a first staple pusher;

the third slot is shaped to translatably house at least a second staple pusher; and

the second slot and the third slot are configured to limit the first staple pusher to translation at an angle oblique to translation of the second staple pusher.

19. The stapler of claim 16, wherein:

the second slot is shaped to translatably house at least a first staple pusher shaped to support at least the first one of the plurality of staples and a third one of the plurality of staples parallel to the first one of the plurality of staples;

the third slot is shaped to translatably house at least a second staple pusher oblique to the first staple pusher, the second staple pusher shaped to support at least the second one of the plurality of staples and a fourth one of the plurality of staples.

20. The stapler of claim 19, wherein one of:

at least one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 3.42 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less;

or

at least one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 4.72 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 8.6 mm or less;

or

the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less, and the stapler is configured to staple and cut tissue resulting in a cuff width of greater than 0.5 mm.

21. The stapler of claim 19, further comprising:

a first longitudinally translating cam;

a second longitudinally translating cam positioned oblique to the first longitudinally translating cam; and

wherein

the second slot is shaped to slidably receive the first longitudinally translating cam to effectuate a sliding motion of the first staple pusher; and

the third slot is shaped to slidably receive the second longitudinally translating cam to effectuate a sliding motion of the second staple pusher oblique to the sliding motion of the first staple pusher.

22. The stapler of claim 16, further comprising:

an expandable cutting mechanism configured to move between a collapsed configuration wherein the cutting mechanism is shaped to fit within the envelope diameter and an expanded configuration wherein the cutting mechanism has a dimension that is greater than the envelope diameter.

23. The stapler of claim 16, further comprising:

an expandable cutting mechanism having a first member with a cutting portion and a second member;

wherein

the cutting mechanism is configured to move between a collapsed configuration wherein the cutting portion does not intersect a longitudinal axis defined by the tissue clamping interface of the cartridge and an expanded configuration wherein the cutting portion intersects the longitudinal axis defined by the tissue clamping interface of the cartridge.

24. The stapler of claim 16, wherein one of:

at least the first one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 3.42 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 5.6 mm or less;

or

at least the first one of the plurality of staples has a leg length of 4.72 mm or greater, and the envelope diameter is 8.6 mm or less.

25. The surgical stapler of claim 16, wherein:

the surgical stapler is configured to staple and cut tissue up to a pre-defined tissue thickness;

the tissue thickness is defined as a distance between the anvil and the cartridge during stapling; and

the tissue thickness is at least 20% of the envelope diameter when the stapler is in the closed configuration.

26. The stapler of claim 16, wherein:

the anvil has a curved tissue clamping interface; and

the cartridge has a curved tissue clamping interface shaped to engage the curved tissue clamping interface of the anvil when the stapler is in the closed configuration.

27. The stapler of claim 16, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of staples has a leg length that is at least 61% of the envelope diameter.

28. A method of placing a surgical staple in a patient, comprising:

providing a surgical stapler in a closed configuration, the stapler comprising an anvil movably coupled to a support jaw between a clamped configuration wherein the anvil and the support jaw are configured to clamp tissue positioned therebetween, and a closed configuration wherein a tissue clamping interface in the anvil abuts a tissue clamping interface in the cartridge, wherein the support jaw comprises a cartridge configured to removably house a plurality of B-form staples, at least one of the plurality of B-form staples having a base length and a leg length, the cartridge further comprising a first slot shaped to receive a translating cutting mechanism, a second slot shaped to house at least a first one of the plurality of staples, and a third slot shaped to house at least a second one of the plurality of staples at an angle oblique to the first one of the plurality of staples, the anvil and the support jaw comprising the cartridge are shaped to fit within an envelope diameter when in the closed configuration, and the leg length of the at least one of the plurality of B-form staples is at least 53% of the envelope diameter;

passing at least a portion of the stapler in the closed configuration through an envelope diameter;

positioning tissue between the anvil and the support jaw;

moving the anvil to the clamped configuration wherein the anvil and the support jaw clamp the tissue; and

causing the stapler to form the plurality of staples about the tissue.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

housing a third one of the plurality of staples parallel to the first one of the plurality of staples; and

housing a fourth one of the plurality of staples parallel to the second one of the plurality of staples; and

wherein one of

the surgical stapler has an envelope diameter of 5.6 mm or less;

or

the surgical stapler has an envelope diameter of 8.6 mm or less.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

clamping tissue between a curved tissue clamping interface in the support jaw and a curved tissue clamping interface in the anvil.