Powered stapler having varying staple heights and sizes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11426162-B2
Application number	US-202016832105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A loading unit of a powered surgical stapling instrument includes anvil and cartridge assemblies. The anvil assembly includes a first tissue contacting surface, and the cartridge assembly includes a second tissue contacting surface, a first plurality of staples, a second plurality of staples, and a plurality of pushers. The second tissue contacting surface defines a knife channel partitioning the second tissue contacting surface into first and second portions. Each of the first and second portions includes an inner tissue contacting surface and an outer tissue contacting surface. The inner tissue contacting surface defines a first row of retention slots. The inner tissue contacting surface and the first tissue contacting surface define a first tissue gap. The outer tissue contacting surface defines a second row of retention slots. The outer tissue contacting surface and the first tissue contacting surface define a second tissue gap larger than the first tissue gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical stapling instrument comprising:
an anvil assembly including a planar first tissue contacting surface defining a plurality of staple-forming depressions; and
a cartridge assembly movable relative to the anvil assembly between open and approximated positions, the cartridge assembly including:
a second tissue contacting surface defining a knife channel partitioning the second tissue contacting surface into first and second portions, each of the first and second portions including:
an inner tissue contacting surface disposed adjacent the knife channel and defining a first row of retention slots, the inner tissue contacting surface and the first tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly defining a first tissue gap; and
an outer tissue contacting surface disposed laterally outward of the respective inner tissue contacting surface and defining a second row of retention slots, the outer tissue contacting surface and the first tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly defining a second tissue gap larger than the first tissue gap;

a first plurality of staples having a first unformed leg length, the first plurality of staples disposed in the first row of retention slots, the first plurality of staples formed of a first material;
a second plurality of staples having a second unformed leg length longer than the first unformed leg length, the second plurality of staples disposed in the second row of retention slots, the second plurality of staples formed of a second material different from the first material; and
a plurality of pushers, each pusher of the plurality of pushers including first and second panels, the first panel configured to eject one staple of the first plurality of staples through the inner tissue contacting surface, and the second panel configured to eject one staple of the second plurality of staples through the outer tissue contacting surface, each pusher of the plurality of pushers including a base panel interconnecting the first and second panels, wherein the first panel has a length longer than the second panel.

2. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second plurality of staples is formed of a permanent or re-absorbable polymer.

3. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second portions of the second tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly includes a transitioning portion interconnecting the respective inner and outer tissue contacting surfaces.

4. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the transitioning portion defines a slope configured to provide gradual compression on tissue when tissue is clamped between the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly.

5. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly is planar.

6. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the first tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly defines a longitudinal channel in registration with the knife channel of the cartridge assembly.

7. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer tissue contacting surfaces of the second tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly are symmetric with respect to the knife channel of the cartridge assembly.

8. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the inner tissue contacting surfaces of the first and second portions of the second tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly are coplanar.

9. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the outer tissue contacting surfaces of the first and second portions of the second tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly are coplanar.

10. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the outer tissue contacting surfaces are parallel to the inner tissue contacting surfaces.

11. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the second tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly and the first tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly define a varying tissue gap and are configured to apply pressure to tissue disposed therebetween, wherein an amount of pressure applied to a portion of tissue disposed on the inner tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly is greater than an amount of pressure applied to a second portion of tissue disposed on the outer tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly.

12. A loading unit for use with a powered surgical stapling instrument comprising:
an anvil assembly including a planar anvil surface defining a plurality of staple-forming depressions; and
a cartridge assembly, at least one of the anvil assembly or the cartridge assembly movable relative to the other between an open position and a pre-fire position, the cartridge assembly including:
a tissue contacting surface defining a knife channel, the tissue contacting surface being stepped, the knife channel partitioning the tissue contacting surface into first and second portions, each of the first and second portions including a first tissue contacting surface and a second tissue contacting surface, the first tissue contacting surface including a first plurality of staple retention slots, the first tissue contacting surface and the planar anvil surface configured to apply a first pressure to tissue disposed therebetween in the pre-fire position, the second tissue contacting surface defining a second plurality of staple retention slots, the second tissue contacting surface and the planar anvil surface configured to apply a second pressure to tissue disposed therebetween in the pre-fire position, the second pressure being less than the first pressure;
a first plurality of unformed staples having a first leg length, the first plurality of unformed stapled formed of a first material, the first plurality of unformed staples configured to be ejected through the first plurality of staple retention slots and into engagement with the plurality of staple-forming depressions of the anvil assembly to form a first plurality of formed staples;
a second plurality of unformed staples having a second leg length, the second plurality of unformed staples formed of a second material different from the first material, the second plurality of unformed staples configured to be ejected through the second plurality of staple retention slots and into engagement with the plurality of staple-forming depressions of the anvil assembly to form a second plurality of formed staples, the second leg length being longer than the first leg length; and
a plurality of pushers, each pusher of the plurality of pushers including first and second panels configured to engage a respective one staple of the first plurality of unformed staples and one staple of the second plurality of unformed staples, each pusher of the plurality of pushers including a base panel interconnecting the first and second panels, wherein the first panel has a length longer than the second panel.

13. The loading unit according to claim 12 , wherein the second tissue contacting surfaces are disposed laterally outward of the respective first tissue contacting surfaces.

14. The loading unit according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second portions of the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly includes a transition panel interconnecting the respective first and second tissue contacting surfaces.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Holsten Henry

Classifications

• A61B2017/07285

  characterised by its cutter · CPC title

• A61B2017/00473

  Distal part, e.g. tip or head (A61B2017/00464 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00398

  using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids · CPC title

• A61B2017/07235

  containing different staples, e.g. staples of different shapes, sizes or materials · CPC title