Movable member for use with a tissue thickness compensator
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey S. Swayze, Joshua R. Uth, Richard L. Leimbach, John L. Stammen, Samuel P. Tidwell, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cutting blade for a surgical cutting and stapling instrument is disclosed therein. The cutting blade can include one or more features to direct or displace substances released from within the tissue thickness compensators used with the surgical instrument. The cutting blade may include a textured surface that can cause substances from the tissue thickness compensator to spread across the blade surface.
Claims22
A disposable loading unit for a surgical stapler, the surgical stapler comprising an anvil, said disposable loading unit comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a staple cartridge assembly, wherein said staple cartridge assembly comprises a staple cartridge body that defines a staple deck and a slot, wherein said staple cartridge assembly further comprises a tissue thickness compensator arranged adjacent to said staple deck, and wherein said tissue thickness compensator comprises a substance therein;
- a knife assembly positioned within said housing assembly and arranged to move relative to said staple cartridge assembly along said slot, said knife assembly comprising:
- a cutting surface configured to incise said tissue thickness compensator captured between said staple cartridge assembly and an anvil of the surgical stapler as said knife assembly moves relative to said cartridge assembly;
- and
- an interaction surface arranged relative to said cutting surface, wherein said interaction surface is configured to direct at least a portion of said substance within said tissue thickness compensator as said knife assembly moves relative to said cartridge assembly.
A surgical stapler, comprising:
- a handle;
- a trigger configured to move between an unactuated position and an actuated position;
- a staple cartridge operably connected to said trigger, wherein said staple cartridge defines a staple deck and a slot;
- an anvil operably connected to said handle, wherein said anvil comprises at least one staple-forming surface;
- a tissue thickness compensator arranged relative to said staple deck and said anvil, said tissue thickness compensator comprising a substance within;
- and
- a knife assembly and arranged to move relative to said staple cartridge along said slot, said knife assembly comprising a cutting surface configured to incise said tissue thickness compensator arranged relative to said staple cartridge and said anvil, said knife assembly further comprising a guide arranged relative to said cutting surface, wherein said guide is configured to direct at least a portion of said substance within said tissue thickness compensator as said knife assembly moves relative to said staple cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.