Surgical staples having dissolvable, bioabsorbable or biofragmentable portions and stapling instruments for deploying the same
US8365976B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 2006 |
| Grant date | Feb 5, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2090/0811
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surgical staple including a crown comprised of a dissolvable, bioabsorbable, or biofragmentable material, a first deformable member, and a second member. In at least one embodiment, the crown connects the first member and the second member, however, after the crown has been dissolved, the first member is unconnected to the second member and, as a result, the first and second members can move relative to each other. Accordingly, the staple can be rigid during the early stages of healing and can be flexible during the latter stages of healing, for example. In various embodiments, the first and second members of the staple are also comprised of a dissolvable, bioabsorbable, or biofragmentable material. In these embodiments, the first and second members can be constructed so that the crown and first and second members dissolve at different rates and/or dissolve away at different times.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.