US 11,911,026 B1
Low profile staple and methods for using the same
Jeremy Webster Blair, Atlanta, GA (US); and Courtney Lynne Kline, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to MEDSHAPE, INC., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by MedShape, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/472,956.
Application 17/472,956 is a continuation of application No. 17/004,789, filed on Aug. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,116,499.
Application 17/004,789 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/393,489, filed on Apr. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,020,110, issued on Jun. 1, 2021.
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.
Application 17/004,789 is a continuation in part of application No. 29/659,375, filed on Aug. 8, 2018, granted, now D895113, issued on Sep. 1, 2020.
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)] 46 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of using a surgical staple, the method comprising:
inserting a nitinol staple into tissue of a patient, wherein:
the nitinol staple comprises:
a first leg connected to a bridge at a first shoulder; and
a second leg connected to the bridge at a second shoulder;
the bridge comprises a central bridge portion between a radial point of the first shoulder and a radial point of the second shoulder, the central bridge portion comprising:
a continuous cross-section;
a first edge and a second edge;
a constant width that is greater than a thickness of the central bridge portion; and
a continuously curved top edge comprising a non-breaking surface between the first edge and the second edge; and
the nitinol staple, when inserted into the tissue of the patient, exerts compressive force on the tissue of the patient.