Surgical staple

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12376850-B2
Application number	US-202318213230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2023
Priority date	Jun 22, 2023
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A surgical staple is provided having a bridge and at least a first leg and a second leg. The bridge has a first end and a second end. The surgical staple has a first extension of the bridge adjacent the first end of the bridge and extending on an opposite side of the first leg relative to the second leg and a second extension of the bridge adjacent the second end of the bridge and extending on an opposite side of the second leg relative to the first leg. The bridge may also have a waisted or reduced width mid-section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surgical staple comprising:
a bridge having an upper side, a lower side opposite the upper side, a first end and a second end; and
a plurality of legs depending from the lower side of the bridge, including at least a first leg adjacent the first end of the bridge and a second leg adjacent the second end of the bridge, the legs each having tips at opposite ends of the legs relative to the bridge;
the bridge further having:
a length extending between the first end and the second end, a thickness extending between the upper side and lower side of the bridge and a width extending perpendicular to the length and the thickness,
the upper side having a smooth curved surface extending from the first end to the second end of the bridge, the smooth curved surface having a narrowed middle region, a first narrowed region adjacent the first end and a second narrowed region adjacent the second end,
the width including a reduced width portion adjacent the narrowed middle region of the smooth curved surface as compared to a pair of larger width portions disposed on opposite sides of the reduced width portion, and
a first extension of the bridge adjacent the first end of the bridge and extending on an opposite side of the first leg relative to the second leg, a second extension of the bridge adjacent the second end of the bridge and extending on an opposite side of the second leg relative to the first leg, the first extension having a tapering thickness decreasing toward the first end and the second extension having a tapering thickness decreasing toward the second end, the tapering thicknesses being predominately in the upper side as opposed to the lower side of the bridge;

wherein the surgical staple has a relaxed configuration, where the bridge is arched, and a tensioned configuration, whereby the bridge is less arched than in the relaxed configuration and the tips of at least two of the legs are further apart as compared to in the relaxed configuration, the surgical staple being biased into the relaxed configuration.

2. The surgical staple of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of legs includes a third leg and a fourth leg, the third leg being disposed between the first leg and the fourth leg, and the fourth leg being disposed between the second leg and the third leg.

3. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein at least two of the first leg, second leg, third leg and fourth leg terminate at a common distal extent from the bridge.

4. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein at least two of the first leg, second leg, third leg and fourth leg terminate at different distal extents from the bridge.

5. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth legs terminate at a common distal extent from the bridge.

6. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein the reduced width portion of the width of the bridge is disposed between the third and fourth legs.

7. The surgical staple of claim 6 , wherein the bridge of the surgical staple is more likely to bend at the reduced width portion of the width of the bridge as opposed to i) between the first leg and the third leg; and i) between the second leg and the fourth leg when the surgical staple is moved from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration.

8. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein the upper side of the bridge includes a pair of lateral inclined surfaces on each side of the narrowed middle region of the smooth curved surface.

9. The surgical staple of claim 2 , wherein the lower side of the bridge of the surgical staple has an intermediate smooth surface extending between the third and fourth legs, a first smooth surface extending between the first and third legs and a second smooth surface extending between the second and fourth legs, the first smooth surface and the second smooth surface each having a maximum width less than a maximum width of the intermediate smooth surface.

10. A method of implanting the surgical staple of claim 2 into one or more bones or bone pieces, the method comprising:
drilling holes in the one or more bones or bone pieces for receiving the legs of the surgical staple;
moving the surgical staple from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration;
inserting the legs of the surgical staple into the holes while the surgical staple is in the tensioned configuration; and
allowing the surgical staple to move from the tensioned configuration toward the relaxed configuration and into an installed configuration whereby the surgical staple compresses the one or more bones or bone pieces together.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, in the installed configuration, the lower side of the bridge at the first and second extensions is abutting the one or more bones or bone pieces.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of moving the surgical staple from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration further comprises bending the bridge to a greater amount at the reduced width portion of the width of the bridge as opposed to i) between the first leg and the third leg; and i) between the second leg and the fourth leg when the surgical staple is moved from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of moving the surgical staple from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration further comprises:
contacting a side of the third leg facing the fourth leg with a first operative part of a spreading tool and contacting a side of the fourth leg facing the third leg with a second operative part of the spreading tool; and
moving the first operative part of the spreading tool and the second operative part of the spreading tool away from each other to move the surgical staple from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration.

14. The surgical staple of claim 1 , wherein the upper side of the bridge includes a pair of lateral inclined surfaces on each side of the narrowed middle region of the smooth curved surface.

15. The surgical staple of claim 1 , wherein the lower side of the bridge at the first and second extensions is, in use, abutting a bone and/or tissue.

16. The surgical staple of claim 1 , wherein the first end of bridge and the second end of the bridge are each rounded such that the thickness is decreasing at the first end of the bridge and second end of the bridge.

17. A method of implanting the surgical staple of claim 1 into one or more bones or bone pieces, the method comprising:
drilling holes in the one or more bones or bone pieces for receiving the legs of the surgical staple;
moving the surgical staple from the relaxed configuration to the tensioned configuration;
inserting the legs of the surgical staple into the holes while the surgical staple is in the tensioned configuration; and
allowing the surgical staple to move from the tensioned configuration toward the relaxed configuration and into an installed configuration whereby the surgical staple compresses the one or more bones or bone pieces together.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein, in the installed configuration, the lower side of the bridge at the first and second extensions is abutting the one or more bones or bone pieces.

Assignees

• Medline Industries Lp

Inventors

• Koka Dinesh
• Nader Samuel
• Niver Ryan
• Pheil Natan
• Reed Wesley

Classifications

• A61B2017/0645

  being elastically deformed for insertion · CPC title

• A61B17/0682 Primary

  for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil · CPC title

• A61B2017/0641

  having at least three legs as part of one single body · CPC title

• A61B2017/564

  Methods for bone or joint treatment · CPC title

• A61B2017/00867

  shape memory effect · CPC title