Hologic has filed a patent for a cartridge assembly for a surgical stapler. The assembly includes a housing that acts as a fulcrum for an anvil, and two cartridge portions with slots for staples. The second cartridge portion can be detached from the first to create a channel. The patent also includes a claim for a cap with recesses and cam receiving slots. GlobalData’s report on Hologic gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Hologic, Image segmentation techniques was a key innovation area identified from patents. Hologic's grant share as of September 2023 was 58%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A cap for a stapler with recesses for protrusions
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230309999A1) describes a new cap design for a stapler. The cap includes a distal end, a proximal end, and a cap body that extends between the two ends. The cap also features a first recess and a second recess, both of which are designed to receive protrusions from different cartridge portions of the stapler. These recesses are located closer to the proximal end of the cap than to the distal end.
Additionally, the cap includes a ridge located between the first and second recesses. This ridge serves to maintain the first and second cartridge portions of the stapler in a spaced-apart configuration. It is also aligned with a knife channel of the stapler.
The cap further includes a first housing engagement feature, which is designed to engage with the cartridge housing of the stapler. This feature includes a third recess that receives a third protrusion from the cartridge housing, as well as a fourth recess that receives a fourth protrusion.
The cap body of the stapler is characterized by a slanted surface that extends along the majority of its longitudinal length.
The patent also describes a stapler component that incorporates the cap, along with the first and second cartridge portions. These cartridge portions are both coupled to the cap in a spaced-apart configuration. The stapler component also includes a cartridge housing that accommodates the cartridge portions and is coupled to the cap. The cartridge housing features a hinge, and the stapler component further includes an anvil that is rotatably coupled to the cartridge housing via this hinge.
Furthermore, the stapler component includes a channel between the second and first cartridge portions. The stapler component is in a first state when it is housing a staple and transitions to a second state after the staple has been fired. In the second state, a movable member in the first cartridge portion widens the channel between the two cartridge portions. The first cartridge portion also includes a slot that accommodates a staple pusher, which prevents the movable member from widening the channel before the staple firing is complete.
Overall, this patent presents a new cap design for a stapler that offers improved functionality and ease of use. The cap, along with the accompanying stapler component, provides enhanced features for cartridge housing and staple firing.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies
