Patent ID: 11896218
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B | IPC A  B

Claim 18:
19. A method of stapling, comprising:
activating, by a closure trigger, a closure drive of a surgical stapling assembly, wherein the surgical stapling assembly comprises a first jaw, a second jaw, and an articulation joint, wherein the closure drive comprises a first flexible rotary drive extending through the articulation joint, wherein the surgical stapling assembly further comprises a firing drive comprising a second flexible rotary drive extending through the articulation joint and rotatable independent of the first flexible rotary drive, wherein the surgical stapling assembly further comprises a 3D-printed component, wherein the closure drive further comprises a closure screw and a closure wedge threadably coupled to the closure screw, and wherein the closure wedge is configured to engage the first jaw to move the first jaw from an open position to a closed position upon a rotation of the first flexible rotary drive; and
activating, by a firing trigger, the firing drive, wherein the firing drive further comprises a firing screw and a firing member threadably coupled to the firing screw, wherein the firing member is configured to camming engage the first jaw and the second jaw and to advance a cutting member and a staple-firing sled during a firing motion upon a rotation of the second flexible rotary drive,
wherein the firing member comprises a 3D-printed firing member comprise a flexible region and a non-flexible region adjacent to the flexible region, and wherein the method of stapling further comprises expansion of the flexible region as the firing member camming engages the first jaw and the second jaw,
wherein the flexible region comprises a first infill geometry, wherein the non-flexible region comprises a second infill geometry, wherein the second infill geometry is different than the first infill geometry, and wherein expansion of the flexible region further comprises an expansion of the cells defined in the first infill geometry more than an expansion of cells defined in the second infill geometry.