Patent Application
20210259727
The present disclosure relates to circular stapling instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for facilitating insertion and alignment of trocar assemblies within adapter assemblies for circular stapling instruments.
Surgical instruments for applying staples, clips, or other fasteners to tissue are well known. Typically, endoscopic stapling instruments include an actuation unit, e.g., a handle assembly for actuating the instrument, an elongate shaft for accessing a body cavity, and a tool assembly disposed at a distal end of the elongate shaft.
Adapter assemblies used with a circular stapling tool assembly typically include a trocar assembly for selectively positioning an anvil assembly relative to a cartridge assembly. To facilitate sterilization and reuse of the adapter assemblies, many of the trocar assemblies are removable. Subsequent to cleaning and sterilizing, and prior to reuse, the adapter assemblies need to be reassembled by hospital staff or other personnel. Ensuring that the adapter assembly is properly reassembled is important for functionality and patient safety of the circular stapling instruments.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a trocar loading device for loading a trocar assembly within an adapter assembly is provided. The trocar loading device includes a base member defining a longitudinal passage for receiving a trocar assembly and including a proximal end surface; and an engagement arm secured to the base member and configured to releasably secure a trocar assembly within the base member, the engagement arm including a proximal end surface. The proximal end surface of the base member is configured to engage a distal end surface of a trocar housing of the trocar assembly when the trocar assembly is not properly secured within the adapter assembly.
The proximal end surface of the engagement arm may be configured to engage a distal end surface of a connection member of the adapter assembly when the trocar assembly is properly secured within the adapter assembly.
The base member may include a connector portion configured to be received within the connection member of the adapter assembly.
The base member may include a handle portion configured for operable engagement by a user.
The engagement arm may include an elongate portion, a C-shaped flange portion disposed on a first end of the elongate portion, and a locking portion extending from the flange portion.
The engagement arm may further include a release portion disposed adjacent the C-shaped flange portion and which may be configured for operable engagement by a user.
The engagement arm may be formed from a single piece of material.
The engagement arm may be secured to the base member by the screw.
The base member may include a tapered section to accommodate flexing of the engagement arm.
The locking portion of the engagement arm may include an inclined surface to facilitate receipt of a trocar assembly within the base member.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method of confirming proper securing of a removable trocar assembly within an adapter assembly is provided. The method includes securing a trocar loading device to the removable trocar assembly; receiving proximal ends of the removable trocar assembly and the trocar loading device within the adapter assembly; and retracting a trocar member of the trocar assembly proximally until a proximal end surface of an engagement arm of the trocar loading device engages a distal end surface of a connection member of the adapter assembly or a proximal end surface of a base member of the trocar loading device engages a distal end surface of a trocar housing of the removable trocar assembly.
The method may further include advancing the trocar member relative to the trocar housing to permit securing of the trocar loading unit to the removable trocar assembly.
The securing of the trocar loading device to the removable trocar assembly may include receiving a locking portion of the engagement arm through a slot in the trocar member.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with a general description of the disclosure given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure, wherein:
Aspects of the disclosed device and method for ensuring proper engagement of a removable trocar assembly with an adapter assembly will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. As is common in the art, the term “proximal” refers to that part or component closer to the user or operator, e.g. surgeon or clinician, while the term “distal” refers to that part or component farther away from the user.
The adapter assembly 20 of the surgical stapling instrument 10 will only be described to the extent necessary to fully disclose the aspects of the present disclosure. For a detailed description of exemplary adapter assemblies, please refer to commonly owned U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Nos. 2016/0106406 (“the '406 publication) and 2017/0086879 (“the '879 publication”).
The removable trocar assembly 50, is releasably securable within the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20. The removable trocar assembly 50 is configured to engage the anvil assembly 50 (
The removable trocar assembly 50 includes a housing 52, a trocar member 54 slidably disposed within the housing 52, and a drive member 56 (
The base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 includes a connector portion 110, a receiving portion 120 extending from the connector portion 110, and a handle portion 130 disposed on a free end of the receiving portion 120. The connector portion 110 is configured to facilitate engagement of the trocar loading device 100 with the adapter assembly 20. The receiving portion 120 is configured to receive the removable trocar assembly 50. The handle portion 130 is configured for operable engagement by a user. Although shown as being integrally formed, any or all of the connector portion 110, the receiving portion 120, and the handle portion 130 may be formed as separate components that are secured together using known methods.
The connector portion 110 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 is configured to be received within the connection member 26 (
The receiving portion 120 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 includes an elongate body 122 having a contoured section 124 and a tapered section 126. The contoured section 124 of the elongate body 122 is configured to facilitate engagement by a user of the trocar loading device 100 when separating the trocar loading device 100 from the removable trocar assembly 50 subsequent to the removable trocar assembly 50 being secured to the adapter assembly 20 (
The elongate body 122 of the base member 102 defines a longitudinal passage 121 configured to receive the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50. An open distal end of the elongate body 122 facilitates cleansing and sterilization of the removable trocar assembly 50 while secured to the trocar loading device 100. The elongate body 122 of the base member 102 defines a slot 123 (
The handle portion 130 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 includes a substantially planar body 132 that extends radially outward from the receiving portion 120 of the base member 102. The planar body 132 of the base member 102 enables the trocar loading device 100, with the removable trocar assembly 20 secured thereto, to be maintained in an upright, standing position to accommodate placement of the removable trocar assembly 50 during handling and prior to assembly with the adapter assembly 20, without risk of contaminating and/or compromising the sterility of the removable trocar assembly 50.
The engagement arm 104 of the trocar loading device 100 includes an elongate portion 140, a release portion 142 formed on a free end of the elongate portion 140, a C-shaped flange portion 144 extending laterally from the release portion 142, and the locking portion 146 disposed on the flange portion 142 and extending towards the release portion 142. The engagement arm 104 may be integrally formed from a single piece of material. In aspects of the disclosure, the engagement arm 104 is formed of stamped sheet metal or molded plastic.
As shown, the engagement arm 104 of the trocar loading device 100 is secured to the base member 102 by the screw 106 received through an opening 141 formed in a second end of the elongate portion 140 of the engagement arm 104. The engagement arm 104 of the trocar loading device 100 is configured such that when the elongate portion 140 of the engagement arm 140 is secured to the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100, the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 is received within the slot 123 of the base member 102. The tapered section 126 of the base member 102 permits flexing of the engagement arm 104 to move the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104, as indicated by arrow “A” in
The locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 includes an inclined surface 146a to facilitate receipt of the removable trocar assembly 50 within the receiving portion 120 of the base member 102. More particularly, the inclined surface 146a of the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 of the trocar loading device 100 engages the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50 as the proximal end 54a of the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50 is received with the longitudinal passage 121 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 to cause flexing of the engagement arm 104. In this manner, the locking portion 144 of the engagement arm 104 is moved from within the slot 123 in the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 to permit receipt of the removable trocar assembly 50 within the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100.
The removable trocar assembly 50 is secured to the trocar loading device 100 by receiving the trocar member 54 in the longitudinal passage 121 of the base member 102 and aligning the slot 55 in the trocar member 54 with the cutout 125 in the base member 102 to permit receipt of the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 into the slot 55 in the trocar member 54. The trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50 may have to be advanced from the trocar housing 52 in the event the removable trocar assembly 50 is provided with the trocar member 54 in a retracted position (not shown). As the removable trocar assembly 50 is received within the longitudinal passage 121 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100, the inclined surface 146a of the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 engages the trocar member 54 to cause the engagement arm 104 to flex to permit receipt of the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50 within the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100. Once the slot 55 in the trocar member 54 is aligned with the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104, the engagement arm 104 returns to its unflexed position and the locking portion 146 is received through the slot 123 in the base member 102 and through the slot 55 in the trocar member 54 to secure the removable trocar assembly 50 within the longitudinal passage 121 of the base member 102.
Once the trocar loading device 100 is secured to the removable trocar assembly 50, the trocar loading device 100 may be used to position the removable trocar assembly 50 within the adapter assembly 20. The removable trocar assembly 20 is secured to the adapter assembly 20 by receiving the connector portion 110 of the base member 102 of the trocar loading device 100 within the connector member 26 of the adapter assembly 20. Proper engagement of the removable trocar assembly 50 with the adapter assembly 20 may be indicated by an audible and/or tactile feedback.
In the noisy and active environment of an operating room, the feedback generated when the removable trocar assembly 50 is properly secured to the adapter assembly 20 may not always be heard and/or felt. The trocar loading device 100 is configured to permit confirmation that the removable trocar assembly 50 is properly secured to the adapter assembly 100 before separating the trocar loading device 100 from the removable trocar assembly 50. More particularly, the trocar loading device 100 is configured to register a strain in the strain gage assembly 28 (
The handle assembly 30 of the surgical stapling instrument 10 may include a light and/or produce an audible sound when the strain gage assembly 28 registers a load. In addition, or alternatively, the handle assembly 30 may be configured to disable firing of the surgical stapling instrument 10 until a load is registered in the strain gage 28.
Once the removable trocar assembly 50 is properly secured with the adapter assembly 20, the trocar loading device 100 is separated from the adapter assembly 20 and the removable trocar assembly 50 by first flexing the engagement arm 104 by engaging the release portion 142 to move the locking portion 146 of the engagement arm 104 from within the slot 55 in the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50 and then sliding the trocar loading device 100 longitudinally away from the adapter assembly 20 and from about the trocar member 54 of the removable trocar assembly 50.
After securing the removable trocar assembly 50 within the adapter assembly 20, operation of the adapter assembly 20 is substantially similar to operation of the exemplary adapter assemblies shown and described in the '879 publication, previously incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Persons skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary aspects. It is envisioned that the elements and features illustrated or described in connection with the exemplary aspects may be combined with the elements and features of another without departing from the scope of the disclosure. As well, one skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the disclosure based on the above-described aspects. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims.
