Surgical staple with integral pledget for tip deflection
View Patent ↗A circular stapler apparatus for stapling tissue includes a staple and pledget assembly and a circular staple head operable to drive staples toward an anvil. A staple of the staple and pledget assembly has a pair of legs disposed substantially perpendicular to a crown of the staple in a first position. The pair of legs is operable to advance against a pocket in the anvil to form a staple with bent legs. The staple and pledget assembly includes the staple and a pledget configured to receive the pair of legs of the staple. The pledget comprises a bioabsorbable material. The pledget is configured to advance distal ends of the pair of legs to a position in which the distal ends are laterally offset from a plane in which the crown of the staple is disposed.
1. A stapler apparatus for stapling a tissue, the stapler apparatus comprising:
(a) an anvil having an anvil head, wherein the anvil head defines a plurality of staple-forming pockets;
(b) a plurality of staples, wherein each staple of the plurality of staples includes a pair of legs and a crown, wherein the pair of legs and the crown together define a first plane;
(c) a deck, wherein the deck defines an annular array of openings, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is associated with a corresponding staple of the plurality of staples;
(d) a plurality of deck support features, wherein each deck support feature of the plurality of deck support features is associated with a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings; and
(e) a plurality of staple leg deflecting features, wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect the staple legs away from the first plane in response to the staples advancing toward the staple-forming pockets; wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a portion of a first one of the staple legs to one side of the first plane, wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a portion of a second one of the staple legs to another side of the first plane.
2. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deck support features are configured to remain within the openings in response to the staples advancing against the staple-forming pockets.
3. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a first aspect of a first one of the staple legs in a first direction and a second aspect of the first one of the staples in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
4. The stapler apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a first aspect of a second one of the staple legs in the first direction and a second aspect of the second one of the staples in the second direction.
5. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first leg of the staple legs in a deflected state intersects the first plane, wherein a second leg of the staple legs in a defected state intersects the first plane.
6. The stapler apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the crown extends along a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the staple legs are configured to be deformed to a bent configuration in response to the staples advancing against the staple-forming pockets, wherein the staple legs in the bent configuration do not intersect the second plane.
7. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect the staple legs of the staples such that a portion of the legs are disposed parallel to one another.
8. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect the staple legs of the staples such that a portion of the legs are disposed oblique to one another.
9. The stapler apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a stapling head assembly operable to drive the staples toward the staple-forming pockets.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the stapler apparatus comprises a circular stapler, wherein the circular stapler comprises a stapling head assembly, wherein the stapling head assembly comprises:
(i) a rod configured to engage the anvil,
(ii) a knife member configured to form a circular cut line in tissue, and
(iii) a staple driver.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the staple driver is configured to drive the staples out of the openings to form an annular array of staples, wherein the annular array of staples is configured to be positioned radially outward of the circular cut line.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the anvil is configured to move relative to the cartridge deck in order to clamp tissue between the anvil and deck.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each deck support feature of the plurality of deck support features comprises a pledget.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each deck support feature of the plurality of deck support features intersects the first plane of each respective staple.
15. A circular stapler, comprising:
(a) an anvil having an anvil head, wherein the anvil head defines a plurality of staple-forming pockets; and
(b) a stapling head assembly, wherein the stapling head assembly comprises:
(i) a rod configured to engage the anvil,
(ii) a deck, wherein the deck defines an annular array of openings, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is associated with a corresponding staple of the plurality of staples,
(iii) a deck support feature associated with each of the openings,
(iv) a knife member configured to form a circular cut line in tissue,
(v) a staple driver configured to advance the staples out of the openings and toward the staple forming pockets, and
(vi) a plurality of staples, wherein each staple of the plurality of staples includes a crown, a first leg, and a second leg, wherein the first leg, second leg, and the crown define a first plane; and
(c) a plurality of staple leg deflecting features, wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect the first leg in a first direction relative to the plane such that a distal end of the first leg lands on one side of the plane, wherein the staple-forming pockets are configured to deflect the second leg in a second direction relative to the plane such that a distal end of the second leg lands on a second side of the plane.
16. The circular stapler of claim 15 , wherein the second direction is opposite to and parallel to the first direction.
17. A stapler apparatus for stapling a tissue, the stapler apparatus comprising:
(a) an anvil having an anvil head that defines a plurality of staple-forming pockets,
(b) a plurality of staples, each staple including a pair of legs and a crown, wherein the pair of legs and the crown together define a first plane;
(c) a deck defining an annular array of openings, wherein each opening of the annular array of openings is associated with a corresponding staple of the plurality of staples;
(d) a plurality of deck support features associated with a corresponding opening of the annular array of openings; and
(e) a plurality of staple leg deflecting features configured to deflect the staple legs obliquely away from the first plane in response to the staples advancing toward the staple-forming pockets such that the pair of legs intersect the first plane; wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a portion of a first one of the staple legs to one side of the first plane, wherein the staple leg deflecting features are configured to deflect a portion of a second one of the staple legs to another side of the first plane.
18. The stapler apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the crown extends along a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane.
19. The stapler apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the staple legs are configured to be deformed to a bent configuration in response to the staples advancing against the staple-forming pockets, wherein the staple legs in the bent configuration do not intersect the second plane.