US 7,794,475 B2Granted

Surgical staples having compressible or crushable members for securing tissue therein and stapling instruments for deploying the same

AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.

InventorsChristopher J. Hess, Jerome R. Morgan, William B. Weisenburgh, II, James W. Voegele, Mark S Ortiz, Michael J. Stokes, Carl Shurtleff, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey S. Swayze

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Abstract

A staple having a crown, a deformable leg extending from the crown, and a spring extending from the crown configured to compress tissue between the spring and the deformable member. Owing to the flexibility of the spring, the staple can accommodate a wide range of tissue thicknesses while still compressing the tissue captured therein. As a result, a single staple design can be used in a wide variety of surgical procedures thereby reducing the amount of staple designs that must be provided to the surgeon. In at least one embodiment, the staple includes a crushable member. This crushable member can include a plastically deformable first portion and an elastically deformable second portion. The present invention can also include, in various embodiments, a crown, a first deformable member extending from the crown, and means for compressing the tissue against the first deformable member.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A surgical staple insertable into tissue, said staple comprising:

a wire comprising a base, wherein said wire is comprised of a first material;
a crown attached to and at least partially surrounding said base, wherein said crown is comprised of a second material which is different than said first material;
a first deformable member extending from said base, wherein said wire further comprises said first deformable member;
a second deformable member extending from said base, wherein said wire further comprises said second deformable member;
and
a spring extending from said crown, said spring configured to bias said tissue against at least one of said first deformable member and said second deformable member, said spring extending intermediate said first deformable member and said second deformable member;
wherein said spring comprises a cantilever extending from said crown;
wherein said cantilever comprises:
a first end attached to said crown;
a second end movable relative to said crown;
and a curved portion configured to contact tissue, wherein said curved portion is intermediate said first end and said second end;
wherein said spring comprises a cantilever extending from said crown;
wherein said cantilever comprises:
a first end attached to said crown;
a second end movable relative to said crown;
and a curved portion configured to contact tissue, wherein said curved portion is intermediate said first end and said second end.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/541,123Filed 29 Sep 2006
Published: US 2008/0082124 A13 Apr 2008
Granted: 14 Sep 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification36 codes

A61B 17/072
Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clamps: for applying a row of staples in a single action, e.g. the staples being applied…
A61B 17/064
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
A61B 17/0644
Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue: penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
A61B 17/068
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clamps