Method of Fabricating a Stiff Anvil for a Surgical Instrument
A method of manufacturing a surgical apparatus may include fabricating an anvil that includes an insert composed of a first material, the insert located within a cavity in a body composed of a second material, where the first material and the second material have different properties.
Latest CARDICA, INC. Patents:
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/489,355, filed on Jun. 22, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention generally relates to surgical staplers and stapling.
BACKGROUNDReferring to
The use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0065552, published on Mar. 12, 2009 (the “Endocutter Document”), is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The Endocutter Document describes a surgical stapler 2 having a staple holder 4 and an anvil 6. The anvil 6 described in this document may be used in place of the anvil 6 described in the Endocutter Document, or in place of a convention anvil in any suitable surgical stapler 2.
Referring to
The insert 8 and body 10 may be fabricated in any suitable manner. As one example, the insert 8 and the body 10 may be fabricated separately, and then the insert 8 may be placed into a corresponding cavity 12 within the body 10. The insert 8 may be held in place by a pressure or interference fit, by adhesive, by welding, by pinning, or by any other method, mechanism and/or structure. As another example, the body 10 may be insert-molded about the insert 8, or vice versa. Metal injection molding may be used to fabricate the body 10 about the insert 8, or to fabricate the insert 8 within the cavity 12 defined in the body 10. As another example, the body 10 may be cast about the insert 8. As another example, the insert 8 may be cast in place within the cavity 12.
Referring also to
Optionally, an upper insert 8a may be fabricated from a material that is stronger in compression than in tension, and a lower insert 8b may be fabricated from a material that is stronger in tension than compression. The upper insert 8a is further from the staple holder 4 than the lower insert 8b. The use of terms such as “upper”, “lower” and “upwards” merely refers to the orientation of figures on the page for clarity and brevity, and does not limit the arrangement of the staple holder 4 and anvil 6, nor the orientation of the anvil 6 in use. In this way, as the anvil 6 and staple holder 4, the tendency of the distal end of the anvil 6 to bend upward away from the staple holder 4 is resisted both by the tensile strength of the lower insert 8b and the ability of the upper insert 8a to withstand compression. Typically, high modulus materials are stronger in compression than in tension, so in such a configuration the upper insert 8a may be fabricated from a high-modulus material and the lower insert 8b may be fabricated from a high-strength material.
Referring to
While the invention has been described in detail, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made and equivalents employed, without departing from the present invention. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction, the arrangements of components, and/or the method set forth in the above description or illustrated in the drawings. Statements in the abstract of this document, and any summary statements in this document, are merely exemplary; they are not, and cannot be interpreted as, limiting the scope of the claims. Further, the figures are merely exemplary and not limiting. Topical headings and subheadings are for the convenience of the reader only. They should not and cannot be construed to have any substantive significance, meaning or interpretation, and should not and cannot be deemed to indicate that all of the information relating to any particular topic is to be found under or limited to any particular heading or subheading. Therefore, the invention is not to be restricted or limited except in accordance with the following claims and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a surgical apparatus, comprising:
- fabricating an anvil comprising an insert composed of a first material, said insert located within a cavity in a body composed of a second material, wherein said first material and said second material have different properties.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first material is high-modulus and said second material is high-strength.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said fabricating comprises
- fabricating said insert; and then
- metal injection molding said body about at least part of said insert.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said fabricating comprises
- fabricating said body; and then
- metal injection molding said into said cavity in said body.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said fabricating comprises
- fabricating said insert; and then
- insert molding said body about at least part of said insert.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said fabricating comprises
- fabricating said insert;
- separately fabricating said body;
- inserting said insert into said cavity; and
- fixing said insert to said body.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first material is tungsten carbide and wherein said second material is 17-4 PH stainless steel.
8. A surgical apparatus, comprising:
- an anvil, comprising van upper layer composed of a first material; and a lower layer composed of a second material different from said first material, said lower layer fixed to said upper layer.
9. The surgical apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first material is high-modulus and said second material is high-strength.
10. The surgical apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first material is high-strength and said second material is high-modulus.
11. The surgical apparatus of claim 8, wherein each said layer extends along substantially all of the entire length and width of said anvil.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 22, 2011
Publication Date: Apr 19, 2012
Applicant: CARDICA, INC. (Redwood City, CA)
Inventors: Philipe R. Manoux (San Francisco, CA), Bryan D. Knodel (Flagstaff, AZ), Bernard A. Hausen (Redwood City, CA)
Application Number: 13/335,581
International Classification: A61B 17/04 (20060101); B23P 11/00 (20060101); B23P 17/00 (20060101); B23P 15/00 (20060101);