Surgical stapling instrument with chemical sealant

• US 7,798,385 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, Victoria Y. H., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Boyden, Edward S., Whitmer, Charles, Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash; Brian D
• Application Number:
  US11/901,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/175.3, 227/176.1, 227/19, 606/911, 606/910
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• 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 actuation mechanism adapted to deliver surgical staples, the actuation mechanism being located in a proximity to or contained within the at least one grasping jaw, the surgical staples 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 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;

at least one delivery mechanism adapted to deliver one or more surgical staples, and a flexually deformable and steerable shaft connected to said at least one grasping jaw;

wherein said flexually deformable and steerable shaft contains at least one shape-transforming material including a shape memory alloy,

said delivery mechanism being located in proximity to or contained within said at least one grasping jaw;

said one or more surgical staples containing at least one shape-transforming material; and

at least one chemical tissue sealant.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said shape memory alloy includes at least one of titanium, nickel, zinc, copper, aluminum, cadmium, platinum, iron, manganese, cobalt, gallium or tungsten.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said shape memory alloy includes Nitinol™

.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a cutter.

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

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor is disposed within said at least one grasping jaw.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor includes at least one image-acquisition device.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein said at least one image-acquisition device includes at least one of a camera, a charge coupled device, an X-ray receiver, an acoustic energy receiver, an electromagnetic energy receiver or an imaging device.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein said at least one image-acquisition device is wirelessly coupled or hardwired to at least one visual display.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 7, further comprising at least one illumination device operably coupled to said at least one image-acquisition device.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor includes at least one data-transmission device.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor is adapted to detect the proximity of a biological tissue.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said chemical tissue sealant is housed inside said at least one grasping jaw.