Atraumatic stapling head features for circular surgical stapler

Abstract

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, a stapling head assembly, and an anvil. The stapling head assembly includes an annular deck member, a plurality of staples, and a driver. The deck member includes a deck surface that has a curved profile defined by a curve extending from the inner diameter of the deck member to the outer diameter of the deck member. The deck member further includes an outer array of staple openings and an inner array of staple openings. The driver is operable to drive the staples through the staple openings. The anvil is operable to compress tissue against the first deck surface.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus comprising:
 (a) a shaft assembly comprising a distal end; and   (b) a stapling assembly located at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the stapling assembly comprises:
 (i) an anvil, 
 (ii) a deck member extending between an inner radial side and an outer radial side, wherein the deck member comprises:
 (A) a deck surface defining an inner array of staple openings and an outer array of staple openings, wherein the inner array of staple openings and the outer array of staple openings form a staple pattern extending along a curved path, and 
 (B) at least one stand-off feature located extending distally from a portion of the deck surface that surrounds the stand-off feature, 
 
 (iii) a plurality of staples associated with the staple openings, and 
 (iv) a driver operable to drive the staples through the staple openings and against the anvil, 
   wherein the deck member is configured to define a tissue gap with the anvil that varies in depth between the inner radial side and the outer radial side such that the plurality of staples associated with the inner array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a first formed staple height and the plurality of staples associated with the outer array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a second formed staple height.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a body, wherein the shaft assembly extends distally from the body. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the body comprises a handle assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a powered firing actuation mechanism configured to actuate the driver. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the powered firing actuation mechanism comprises a motor. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one stand-off feature comprises an elastomeric member configured to deform in response to compressing tissue with the anvil to thereby define the tissue gap with the anvil that varies in depth between the inner radial side and the outer radial side. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the elastomeric member comprises a first width adjacent to the inner radial side and a second width adject to the outer radial side. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first width is smaller than the second width. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the deck surface adjacent to the inner radial side defines a recess. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the deck surface comprises an annular surface. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the stapling assembly comprises a trocar configured to actuate relative to the deck member, wherein the anvil is configured to selectively couple with the trocar. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the deck surface comprises a curved deck surface extending from the inner radial side toward the outer radial side of the deck member. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein each staple opening in the inner array of staple openings comprises a first exit point, wherein each staple opening in the outer array of staple openings comprises a second exit point, wherein the first exit point is distal compared to the second exit point. 
     
     
         34 . The appartus of  claim 31 , wherein the inner array of staple openings is closer to the inner radial side compared to the outer array of staple openings. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising an arched knife member associated with the inner radial side of the deck member, wherein the deck surface comprises a first surface and a second surface elevated from the first surface, wherein both the first surface and the second surface are generally concentric with the arched knife member 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus comprising:
 (a) a shaft assembly comprising a distal end; and   (b) a stapling assembly located at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the stapling assembly comprises:
 (i) an anvil comprising a proximal surface, 
 (ii) a deck member extending between an inner radial side and an outer radial side, wherein the deck member comprises:
 (A) a deck surface defining an inner array of staple openings and an outer array of staple openings, and 
 (B) at least one stand-off feature extending between the inner array of staple openings and the outer array of staple openings, wherein the at least one stand-off feature extends distally from a surrounding portion of the deck surface, 
 
 (iii) a plurality of staples associated with the inner array of staple openings and the outer array of staple openings, and 
 (iv) a driver operable to drive the plurality of staples against the proximal surface of the anvil, 
   wherein the deck member is configured to define a tissue gap with the anvil that varies in depth between the inner radial side and the outer radial side such that the plurality of staples associated with the inner array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a first formed staple height and the plurality of staples associated with the outer array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a second formed staple height.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one stand-off feature comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the elastomeric material is configured to deform in response to the deck member grasping tissue with the anvil. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the elastomeric material is thinner near the inner array of staple openings as compared to near the outer array of staple openings 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus comprising:
 (a) a shaft assembly comprising a distal end; and   (b) a stapling assembly located at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the stapling assembly comprises:
 (i) an anvil, 
 (ii) a deck member extending between an inner radial side and an outer radial side, wherein the deck member comprises:
 (A) a deck surface defining a first array of staple openings and a second array of staple openings, and 
 (B) at least one stand-off feature located between the first array of staple openings and the second array of staple openings, wherein the at least one stand-off feature extends distally from the deck surface surrounding the at least one stand-off feature, and 
 
 (iii) a plurality of staples associated with respective staple openings of the first array of staple openings and the second array of staple openings, 
   wherein the deck member is configured to define a tissue gap with the anvil that varies in depth between the inner radial side and the outer radial side such that the plurality of staples associated with the first array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a first formed staple height and the plurality of staples associated with the second array of staple openings are configured to cooperate with the anvil to form a second formed staple height that is different than the first formed staple height.