US 11,911,025 B1
Low profile staple and methods for using same
Jeremy Webster Blair, Atlanta, GA (US); and Jack Cabell Griffis, III, Vero Beach, FL (US)
Assigned to MEDSHAPE, INC., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by MedShape, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on May 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/306,147.
Application 17/306,147 is a continuation of application No. 16/393,489, filed on Apr. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,020,110.
Application 16/393,489 is a continuation of application No. 16/058,638, filed on Aug. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,307,156, issued on Jun. 4, 2019.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0642 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0644 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00867 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0645 (2013.01)] 42 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical staple having an undeformed state and a deformed state, comprising:
at least two legs angled toward each other in the undeformed state, wherein a depth of each of the at least two legs is less than 3 mm; and
a bridge having a length extending between a first end and a second end of the surgical staple, the bridge comprising:
a central bridge portion having a length in the undeformed state extending between a first distal end of a first leg of the at least two legs and a second distal endof a first leg of the at least two legs, the central bridge portion comprising:
a smooth top surface defining a curvature in the undeformed state along the length of the central bridge portion, wherein a radius of curvature of the smooth top surface along the length of the central bridge portion is between 8 and 60 mm;
a smooth bottom surface defining a curvature in the undeformed state along the length of the central bridge portion, wherein a radius of curvature of the smooth bottom surface of the central bridge portion is between 8 and 60 mm;
a first lateral edge of the central bridge portion and a second lateral edge of the central bridge portion;
a constant width between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge that is greater than 3.8 mm, a maximum thickness of the central bridge portion that is less than 1.77 mm, and a solid continuous surface between the first lateral edge and the second edge; and
a continuous cross-section along the length of the central bridge portion, the continuous cross section defining a cross sectional profile that decreases in thickness from a first thickness in the middle of the central bridge portion between the first lateral edge and second lateral edge to a second thickness at each of the first lateral edge and second lateral edge, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness,
wherein the bridge transitions smoothly at each of the first end and the second end: a) to corresponding ones of two outer leg surfaces; and b) downwardly and inwardly along curved shoulders to corresponding faces of each of the at least two legs that define the depth of each of the at least two legs.