Anvil assembly for linear surgical stapler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12082809-B2
Application number	US-202117331920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A surgical stapler includes a first stapler half a second stapler half configured to releasably couple together. The second stapler half includes a first elongate member, a second elongate member, and a polymeric body that encapsulates at least a portion of each of the first elongate member and the second elongate member. One of the first stapler half or the second stapler half includes a distal portion configured to receive a staple cartridge, and the other of the first stapler half or the second stapler half includes a distal portion having a plurality of staple-forming pockets.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes deepening the plurality of initial recesses to transform the plurality of initial recesses into the plurality of anvil pockets.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anvil pockets includes at least one first anvil pocket oriented in a first direction and at least one second anvil pocket oriented in a second direction opposing the first direction.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one first anvil pocket and the at least one second anvil pocket have a same shape.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one first anvil pocket includes a first tapered portion and the at least one second anvil pocket includes a second tapered portion.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first tapered portion extends alongside the second tapered portion to define a sidewall between the first and second tapered portions.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process and the act of performing a second manufacturing process are each performed while maintaining the sidewall at a same height as the top surface of the anvil plate.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sidewall has a thickness of less than or equal to 0.010 inch.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the anvil pockets has a depth of greater than or equal to 0.014 inch.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anvil plate includes a longitudinal slot extending through the top surface, wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process includes forming the plurality of initial recesses on both lateral sides of the longitudinal slot.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching the anvil plate to a portion of the surgical stapler.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the portion of the surgical stapler includes a first stapler half, the method further comprising releasably coupling the first stapler half to a second stapler half, wherein the second stapler half is operable to deploy staples toward the anvil surface.

12. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes acting upon an entirety of each of the initial recesses.

13. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process includes at least one of electrical discharge machining or electrochemical machining.

14. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes coining.

15. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes deepening the plurality of initial recesses to transform the plurality of initial recesses into the plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes acting upon an entirety of each of the initial recesses.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process includes at least one of electrical discharge machining or electrochemical machining, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes coining.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of anvil pockets includes at least one first anvil pocket oriented in a first direction and at least one second anvil pocket oriented in a second direction opposing the first direction.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one first anvil pocket includes a first tapered portion and the at least one second anvil pocket includes a second tapered portion, wherein the first tapered portion extends alongside the second tapered portion to define a sidewall between the first and second tapered portions, wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process and the act of performing a second manufacturing process are each performed while maintaining the sidewall at a same height as the top surface of the anvil plate.

19. A method of forming anvil pockets in an anvil plate for a surgical stapler, the method comprising:
(a) performing a first manufacturing process to form a plurality of initial recesses in a top surface of the anvil plate, wherein the act of performing a first manufacturing process includes at least one of electrical discharge machining or electrochemical machining; and
(b) after the act of performing a first manufacturing process, performing a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process to transform the plurality of initial recesses into a plurality of anvil pockets, wherein the act of performing a second manufacturing process includes coining.

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Schings Brian D
• Jaworek Gary S
• Vogel Donald J
• Bakos Gregory J
• Nalagatla Anil

Classifications

• B23H1/00

  Electrical discharge machining, i.e. removing metal with a series of rapidly recurring electrical discharges between an electrode and a workpiece in the presence of a fluid dielectric · CPC title

• B23H3/00

  Electrochemical machining, i.e. removing metal by passing current between an electrode and a workpiece in the presence of an electrolyte · CPC title

• B21K5/00

  Making tools or tool parts, e.g. pliers · CPC title

• A61B2017/07257

  characterised by its anvil · CPC title

• A61B2017/07214

  Stapler heads · CPC title