Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Suzanne E Thompson

Richard William Timm

John V Hunt

Omar J Vakharia

Gavin Martin Monson

Robert J Laird

Jason L Harris

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Jeffrey S Swayze

Michael J Vendely

Andrew T Beckman

Cory G Kimball

Gregory W Johnson

Dennis D Jamiolkowski

Timothy G Dietz

David A Witt

Prasanna Malaviya

Zhifan F Huang

Christopher J Schall

Mary E Mootoo

John F Cummings

Al Mirel

Raymond M Banks

Adjunct material and methods of using adjunct material to reinforce tissue in proximity to a staple line are provided herein. In general, the adjunct material can be used to maintain a seal in tissue, such as lung tissue, and prevent stapled tissue from tearing. This adjunct material can be coupled to a jaw of a surgical stapler, and can be deployed into tissue along with the staples. In some embodiments, the adjunct material can comprise an outer material encompassing an inner, hydrophilic swellable material. The outer material can be selectively dissolvable and/or absorbable. When the outer material is punctured by staples or otherwise penetrated, moisture is passed to the inner material which then swells and expands to transition to a predetermined shape to seal the tissue and prevent leaks from forming in the tissue. Portions of the inner material around the staple line can transition to a large radius.

Methods and devices for reinforcing a staple line

A surgical instrument includes a first jaw, a second jaw, a cutting member, and at least one compression element. The cutting member includes a cutting edge and is configured to translate with respect to the first jaw between a retracted position and a fully advanced position. The at least one compression element extends distally from the cutting member, wherein the at least one compression element is configured to contact the first jaw such that the first jaw rotates with respect to the second jaw between an open configuration and a closed configuration when the cutting member translates with respect to the first jaw, wherein the at least one compression element comprises a rotatable member, and wherein the rotatable member is configured to be advanced ahead of the cutting edge as the cutting member translates to the fully advanced position.

Surgical cutting and sealing instrument with reduced firing force

An electrosurgical instrument can comprise a handle, a shaft, and an end effector, wherein the end effector can be rotatably coupled to the shaft by an articulation joint. The instrument can further comprise a drive member and the articulation joint can comprise flexible support members which can be configured to support the drive member. The instrument can further comprise supply wires electrically coupled to electrodes in the end effector and a wire tensioning device configured to prevent the supply wires from accumulating slack within the articulation joint. The drive member can comprise a plurality of flexible layers wherein some of the layers can be comprised of an electrically insulative material and other layers can be comprised of an electrically conductive material which is in electrical communication with a cutting member in the end effector and/or electrodes positioned within the end effector.

Surgical instrument comprising an articulatable end effector

A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue can comprise a jaw member comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode is configured to supply energy from a power source to captured tissue. The surgical instrument comprises a tissue-cutting element to transect the captured tissue. The rate of distal translation of the tissue-cutting element during the operational stroke may be regulated by a linear actuator, for example.

Electrosurgical cutting and sealing instrument

A surgical instrument is provided that can comprise and end effector including two jaws and a cutting member configured to move between the jaws. In at least one embodiment, one or both of the jaws may be flexible, such that a jaw is configured to flex when gripping tissue. Further, at least one of the jaws may include a thin cross-sectional area such that the jaw flexes when gripping tissue. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, one or more compression elements may extend from the cutting member and may be configured to cause the jaws to close when the cutting member is advanced. The compression elements may comprise a roller and/or a low-friction material. Moreover, in at least one embodiment, one or both of the jaws may be precurved, away from the cutting member's longitudinal axis. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the overall force required to advance the cutting member and/or close the jaws may be reduced.

Various embodiments are directed to a surgical instrument comprising a handle, a shaft coupled to the handle and extending along a longitudinal axis, an end effector, and a cable. The end effector may comprise a first jaw member, a second jaw member and a reciprocating member. The cable may extend distally from the handle through the shaft to a first pulley of the first jaw member. From the first pulley, the cable may extend proximally to the reciprocating member, such that proximally directed motion of the cable exerts a distally directed force on the reciprocating member.

Cable actuated end-effector for a surgical instrument

Methods are provided for biliary diversion. In one embodiment, a tubular member can be implanted within a patient by positioning a proximal end of the tubular member in the patient's gall bladder, positioning a distal end of the tubular member in the patient's intestine, and positioning a length of the tubular member extending between the proximal and ends thereof within the patient's stomach. Bile can therefore be allowed to pass from the gall bladder into the tubular member's proximal end, flow through the tubular member, and exit through the tubular member's distal end to enter the patient's gastrointestinal tract at the intestine.

Methods for biliary diversion

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

Suzanne E Thompson