US 12,133,651 B2
Tissue relaxation monitoring for optimized tissue stapling
Haley Strassner, Hamden, CT (US); David E. Valentine; Alexander J. Hart, Tolland, CT (US); Stephen R. Casey, Wallingford, CT (US); Sonya A. Bader, Walpole, MA (US); James P. Delbo, North Haven, CT (US); Charles R. Kollar, Washington, DC (US); Drew R. Seils, Guilford, CT (US); and Steven H. Joyce, Durham, CT (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on May 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/198,474.
Application 18/198,474 is a continuation of application No. 17/313,833, filed on May 6, 2021, granted, now 11,653,925.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/028,136, filed on May 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0355241 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/115 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/1155 (2013.01) [A61B 2017/00022 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00119 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07257 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07285 (2013.01); A61B 34/76 (2016.02); A61B 2562/0261 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical stapling device comprising:
an adapter assembly including a trocar assembly and a strain gauge assembly;
a reload assembly operably secured to the adapter assembly, the reload assembly including a staple cartridge;
an anvil assembly releasably secured to the trocar assembly and moveably positioned relative to the staple cartridge between a spaced position and a clamped position;
a processor; and
a memory including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the surgical stapling device to:
capture strain gauge value measurements through the strain gauge assembly at a predetermined sampling rate for tissue clamped between the staple cartridge and the anvil assembly;
determine a differential change in force by subtracting consecutively sampled strain gauge value measurements from each other;
determine a percentage change in force by dividing the differential change in force by a previous strain gauge measurement value;
determine a percent reduction by averaging the percent change in force;
determine whether the percent reduction is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value indicative of tissue relaxation; and
initiating a stapling sequence in response to the percent reduction being equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.