Minimally invasive surgery offers advantages to the patient in quicker recovery times and shorter hospital stays compared to traditional surgery. In spite of these benefits, the potential for new procedures is limited by the lack of instruments designed for this type of surgery.
Foster-Miller has developed a concept for an orthopaedic power stapler that would provide the reach, angle, and force needed by the surgeon to insert staples. An articulated staple head permits tangential insertion of staples from a wide range of pitch angles to 30 degrees. The staple drive system is designed to minimize recoil forces to ensure safe, accurate placement of the staples. In a related development, a microarticulated bone removal system has been conceptualized for less invasive surgical techniques, with initial application to spinal stenosis. The design features a high-speed rotating cutter and a triple-jointed articulating support arm.
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