Adjustable compression staple and method for stapling with adjustable compression

1. A compression-self-adjusting staple, comprising:

a substantially U-shaped staple body having:

a bridge; and

two legs extending from said bridge at an angle thereto, each of said legs having:

a base end integral with said bridge; and

a deformable distal end defining a stapling point shaped to pierce material to be stapled;

a compression device:

at least partly disposed between said legs; and

having a bias portion with:

a compression surface movably disposed between said legs; and

a compression resistor:

connected to said bridge and to said compression surface; and

being formed to resist movement of said compression surface towards said bridge with a pre-set compressive force that ensures stapling within an optimal tissue compression range upon application of a stapling force and, after stapling, maintains the pre-set compressive force within the optimal tissue compression range; and

having a variation in cross-section including at least one of a variation in cross-section shape and a variation in cross-section thickness.

2. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said bridge is substantially rod-shaped with ends; and

said base end of each said legs is integral with a respective one of said ends.

3. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said bridge and legs define a bridge-leg plane; and

said legs extend from said bridge at an angle of between 80 and 100 degrees in said bridge-leg plane.

4. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said bridge and legs define a bridge-leg plane; and

said deformable distal ends are capable of bending to approximately 180 degrees in said bridge-leg plane.

5. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said compression surface defines two orifices; and

each of said legs extends through one of said two orifices.

6. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said compression resistor defines at least one orifice pair;

said compression surface defines two orifices; and

each of said legs extends through one of said two orifices and one of said at least one orifice pair.

7. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression surface is at a distance from said bridge.

8. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression surface is parallel to said bridge.

9. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said bridge and said legs define a compression axis; and

said compression surface is movably disposed between said legs along said compression axis.

10. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression device is connected to said bridge.

11. The staple according to claim 10 , wherein said compression resistor connects said bridge to said compression surface.

12. The staple according to claim 10 , wherein said bridge, said legs, said compression resistor, and said compression surface are integrally formed as a one-piece construction.

13. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is at least partly disposed between said legs.

14. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is disposed between said bridge and said compression surface.

15. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is formed to resist movement of said compression surface towards said bridge with the pre-set compressive force, the pre-set compressive force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

16. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is formed to resist movement of said compression surface towards said bridge with a substantially constant force, the substantially constant force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

17. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is formed to resist movement of said compression surface towards said bridge with a linearly increasing force, the linearly increasing force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

18. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor has an anti-compressive spring constant imparting a substantially constant anti-compressive force over the optimal tissue compression range, the anti-compressive spring constant and the anti-compressive force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

19. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said staple body and said compression device are of a biocompatible material.

20. The staple according to claim 19 , wherein said material is at least one of titanium, a titanium alloy, nitinol, and stainless steel.

21. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

said compression surface and said legs define a central compression region in which is to be disposed a material to be compressed between said compression surface and said stapling points when said distal ends are deformed; and

when said distal ends are deformed in a staple closing direction into said central compression region, said bias portion resists movement of said compression surface in said staple closing direction with the pre-set compressive force, the pre-set compressive force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

22. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression surface and said bias portion are shaped to impart pre-set compressive force upon material disposed between said compression surface and said stapling points when said stapling points are deformed, the pre-set compressive force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

23. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein:

when said stapling points are deformed toward one another, material disposed between said compression surface and said stapling points is compressed between said stapling points and said compression surface; and

said compression resistor maintains the pre-set compressive force on the material within the optimal tissue compression range independent of a degree of compression between said stapling points and said compression surface, the substantially constant compressive force being at least partially dependent upon the variation in cross-section.

24. The staple according to claim 1 , wherein said compression resistor is sinusoidal.

25. The staple according to claim 24 , wherein:

said bridge and legs define a bridge-leg plane; and

said compression resistor is sinusoidal in said bridge-leg plane.

26. The staple according to claim 24 , wherein:

said bridge and legs define a bridge-leg plane; and

said compression resistor is double-sinusoidal in said bridge-leg plane.

27. The staple according to claim 24 , wherein said compression resistor has a first portion and a second portion and said second portion is a minor image of said first portion.