Patent RU-2604397-C2 (RU)
Title: Tissue thickness compensator for surgical suturing instrument comprising adjustable support
Inventor: SHELTON FREDERIK E IV
IPC: A61B17/072
Filed: 2012-04-11
Granted: 2016-12-10
Abstract: FIELD: medical equipment. 
     SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to medical equipment, namely to surgical instruments, in particular, to surgical incision and suturing instruments. Surgical suturing instrument comprises staple cartridge, support unit and tissue thickness compensator. Staple cartridge comprises cartridge body, including multiple seats for staples, and multiple staples located inside the seats for staples, wherein plurality of staples are arranged in lengthwise row. Support unit comprises support frame, support and control element. Support comprises positioning surface and, at least, one surface to form staples, wherein support is fixed with possibility to move along support frame. Control element is made with possibility of movement and installation between support frame and support. Control element comprises first step of first height and second step of second height, second height differs from said first height. Control element can move between first and second position selectively for placement of one of first step and second step between support frame and positioning surface. Support frame comprises first guide part, support comprises second guide part; and first guide part and second guide part are configured to provide relative sliding between support and support frame. Tissue thickness compensator can be trapped inside staples and take different values of height in compressed state inside different staples. Multiple surgical staples contain first staple and second staple. First staple is made with possibility of gripping first tissue thickness and first part tissue thickness compensator; wherein first part of tissue thickness compensator is configured to take first height value depending on first tissue thickness. Second staple is designed to grip second tissue thickness and second part of tissue thickness compensator, second part of tissue thickness compensator is configured to take second height value depending on second tissue thickness. Second tissue thickness is different from first tissue thickness, second height value of tissue thickness compensator is different from first height value of tissue thickness compensator, thickness tissue difference can be compensated by tissue thickness compensator. In second version, surgical instrument comprises staple cartridge, support unit and tissue thickness compensator. Said support unit comprises control element. Control element comprises third step and has third height, wherein third height differs from first height and second height. Control element is made with possibility to move in third position for placement of third stage between support frame and positioning surface. In third version, surgical suturing instrument comprises staple cartridge and support unit. Said staple cartridge comprises tissue thickness compensator for compensation of different tissue thickness taken in different staples, wherein tissue thickness compensator comprises first contact with tissue surface. Said support unit comprises control element for selective placement of second contact with tissue surface relative to said first contact with tissue surface and for compensation of different thicknesses of tissue. Each staple is made with possibility of deformation to height, deformed by support, wherein each staple forms staple grip area, when it is deformed to deformed height. Each staple is made with possibility of gripping part of tissue compensator and part of tissue in staple area, wherein thickness of each part of tissue thickness compensator, gripped by each staple, depends on thickness of tissue, also gripped by the same staple. In fourth version surgical suturing instrument comprises above staple cartridge, tissue thickness compensator, support and control element. Multiple staple extractors support multiple staples, multiple staple extractors are made with possibility of movement to activated height for movement of staples between non-activated position and activated position. Tissue thickness compensator for compensation of different tissue thickness gripped in different staples along the line of staples, based on variable tissue thickness along the line of staples. First staple is made with possibility of gripping first part of the tissue thickness compensator, wherein second staple is made with possibility of gripping second part of the tissue thickness compensator, thickness of first part of the tissue thickness compensator is different from thickness of second part of tissue thickness compensator. Support comprises multiple forming recesses made with possibility of deformation of said staples to activated height, when staples are moved in activated position. Controller is configured to move forming recesses in relation to activated height of staple extractors for adjustment of activated height of staple extractors. 
     EFFECT: using these inventions allows to provide optimal compression pressure on surrounding tissue, thus limiting blood flow through worse contractible vessels. 
     20 cl, 389 dwg