Surgical staple driver arrays

• US 10,172,619 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Harris, Jason L., Shelton, IV, Frederick E., Baxter, III, Chester O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/843,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20170056012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 2271751-1821, 606139, 606142, 606143, 606205, 606208
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07235 containing different staples, e.g. staples of different shapes, sizes or materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07242 achieving different staple heights during the same shot, e.g. using an anvil anvil having different heights or staples of different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft

Abstract

A surgical staple driver array. The array comprises a distal staple driver configured to operably support at least two distal surgical staples thereon that are each oriented in a distal direction. At least one first intermediate staple driver is configured to operably support at least two first surgical staples oriented in a first direction and at least two second surgical staples oriented in a second direction that differs from the first direction. At least one second intermediate staple driver is configured to be slidably supported adjacent at least one of the distal staple driver and a corresponding one of the first intermediate staple drivers. Each of the second intermediate staple drivers is configured to operably support five surgical staples thereon.

Claims

1. A surgical staple driver array for operable use with a surgical staple cartridge, said surgical staple driver array comprising:

a distal staple driver configured to be slidably supported in the surgical staple cartridge and configured to operably support at least two distal surgical staples thereon that are each oriented in a distal direction;

at least one first intermediate staple driver configured to be slidably supported in the surgical staple cartridge, each said at least one first intermediate staple driver configured to operably support at least two first intermediate surgical staples each oriented in a first direction and at least two second intermediate surgical staples each oriented in a second direction that is transverse to said first direction; and

at least one second intermediate staple driver configured to be slidably supported adjacent said distal staple driver and a corresponding one of said at least one first intermediate staple drivers, each said at least one second intermediate staple driver configured to operably support five, secondary surgical staples thereon wherein at least two of the secondary surgical staples are each oriented in a primary direction and at least one other of the secondary surgical staples is oriented in a secondary direction that is transverse to the primary direction.

2. The surgical staple driver array of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second directions is parallel to said distal direction.

3. The surgical staple driver array of claim 2, wherein said first and second directions are transverse to each other.

4. The surgical staple driver array of claim 1, wherein at least one of said primary and secondary directions is parallel to said distal direction.

5. The surgical staple driver array of claim 4, wherein four of the five secondary surgical staples are oriented in said primary direction and another one of the five secondary surgical staples is oriented in said secondary direction.

6. The surgical staple driver array of claim 1, wherein one of the distal surgical staples comprises a distal crown that is aligned on a first distal base axis and another of the distal surgical staples comprises another distal crown that is aligned on a second distal base axis that is parallel to the first distal base axis and wherein one of the first intermediate surgical staples comprises a first staple crown that is aligned on a first base axis and another one of the first intermediate surgical staples comprises another first staple crown that is aligned on another first base axis that is parallel to the first base axis and wherein one of the five secondary surgical staples comprises a second staple crown that is aligned on a second base axis and another of the five secondary surgical staples comprises another second staple crown that is aligned on another second base axis that is parallel to the second base axis.

7. The surgical staple driver array of claim 6, wherein said first and second distal base axes are parallel with said first base axis and said another first base axis and wherein said second base axis and said another second base axis are transverse to said first base axis and said another first base axis.

8. The surgical staple driver array of claim 1, wherein said distal staple driver comprises at least one distal camming surface and wherein at least one of said at least one first intermediate staple drivers comprises at least one first camming surface and wherein at least one of said at least one second intermediate staple drivers comprises at least one primary camming surface and wherein said at least one distal camming surface and said at least one first camming surface and said at least one primary camming surface are axially aligned along a first camming axis.

9. The surgical staple driver array of claim 8, wherein:

said distal staple driver comprises a first distal camming surface and a second distal camming surface spaced from said first distal camming surface;

each of said at least one first intermediate staple drivers comprises a first camming surface and a second camming surface that is spaced from said first camming surface; and

each of said at least one second intermediate staple drivers comprises a primary camming surface and a secondary camming surface that is spaced from said primary camming surface and wherein said first distal camming surface, each of said first camming surfaces and each of said primary camming surfaces are axially aligned on said first camming axis and wherein said second distal camming surface, each of said second camming surfaces and each of said secondary camming surfaces are axially aligned on a second camming axis.

10. A surgical staple cartridge, comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a proximal end and a distal end, said cartridge body defining an elongate slot;

a distal staple driver movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to support at least two distal surgical staples thereon, each of the distal surgical staples extending in a distal direction that is transverse to said elongate slot;

at least one first intermediate staple driver movably supported in said cartridge body, each said first intermediate staple driver configured to support at least two, first surgical staples extending in a first direction and at least two other first surgical staples extending in a second direction that is transverse to said first direction; and

at least one second intermediate staple driver configured to be slidably supported within said cartridge body adjacent said distal staple driver and a corresponding one of said at least one first intermediate staple drivers, each said second intermediate staple driver being configured to operably support five second surgical staples thereon wherein at least two of the second surgical staples are each oriented in a primary direction and at least a third one of the second surgical staples is oriented in a secondary direction that is transverse to the primary direction.

11. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10, wherein a first one of the distal surgical staples comprises a first distal crown that is aligned on a first distal base axis and wherein a second one of the distal surgical staples comprises a second distal crown that is aligned on a second distal base axis that is parallel to the first distal base axis and wherein at least one of the first surgical staples comprises a first staple crown that is aligned on a first base axis and wherein at least one other of the first surgical staples comprises another first staple crown that is aligned on another first base axis that is parallel to the first base axis and wherein at least one of the second surgical staples comprises a second staple crown that is aligned on a second base axis and at least one other of the second surgical staples comprises another second staple crown that is aligned on another second base axis that is parallel to the second base axis.

12. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10, wherein said distal staple driver comprises:

a distal staple support member comprising;

a distal support column configured to support a distal leg of a distal surgical staple thereon; and

a proximal support column configured to support a proximal leg of the distal surgical staple thereon and wherein said distal staple driver further comprises;

another distal staple support member comprising;

another distal support column configured to support another distal leg of another distal surgical staple thereon; and

another proximal support column configured to support another proximal leg of the another distal surgical staple thereon.

13. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 12, wherein one of the distal support column and another distal support column is slidably supported in one of first and second cartridge wall portions in said cartridge body and wherein one of the proximal support column and another proximal support column is slidably supported in the other one of said first and second cartridge wall portions.

14. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 13, wherein said distal staple driver further comprises:

a first distal camming surface on said distal staple support member; and

a second distal camming surface on said another distal staple support member.

15. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first intermediate staple drivers comprises:

a first staple support member comprising;

a first distal support column configured to support a first distal leg of a corresponding first surgical staple thereon; and

a first proximal support column configured to support a first proximal leg of the corresponding first surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said first intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

a second staple support member comprising;

a second distal support column configured to support a second distal leg of a corresponding second surgical staple thereon; and

a second proximal support column configured to support a second proximal leg of the corresponding second surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said first intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

a third staple support member comprising;

a third distal support column configured to support a third distal leg of a corresponding third surgical staple thereon; and

a third proximal support column configured to support a third proximal leg of the corresponding third surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said first intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

a fourth staple support member comprising;

a fourth distal support column configured to support a fourth distal leg of a corresponding fourth surgical staple thereon; and

a fourth proximal support column configured to support a fourth proximal leg of the corresponding fourth surgical staple thereon and wherein a first crown of said corresponding first surgical staple and a second crown of said corresponding second surgical staple are parallel to each other and wherein a third crown of said corresponding third surgical staple and a fourth crown of said fourth corresponding surgical staple are parallel to each other and transverse to the first and second crowns.

16. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 15, wherein one of said first distal support column and said third proximal support column is slidably supported in one of first and second cartridge wall portions in said cartridge body and wherein the other one of said first distal support column and said third proximal support column is slidably supported in the other one of said first and second cartridge wall portions.

17. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 15, wherein at least one of said second intermediate staple drivers comprises:

another first staple support member comprising;

another first distal support column configured to support another first distal leg of a corresponding first other surgical staple thereon; and

another first proximal support column configured to support another first proximal leg of the corresponding first other surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said second intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

another second staple support member comprising;

another second distal support column configured to support another second distal leg of a corresponding second other surgical staple thereon; and

another second proximal support column configured to support another second proximal leg of the corresponding second other surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said second intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

another third staple support member comprising;

another third distal support column configured to support another third distal leg of a corresponding third other surgical staple thereon; and

another third proximal support column configured to support another third proximal leg of the corresponding third other surgical staple thereon and wherein said at least one of said second intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

another fourth staple support member comprising;

another fourth distal support column configured to support another fourth distal leg of a corresponding fourth other surgical staple thereon; and

another fourth proximal support column configured to support another fourth proximal leg of the corresponding fourth other surgical staple thereon and wherein another first crown of the first corresponding other surgical staple and another second crown of the second corresponding other surgical staple and another third crown of the third corresponding other surgical staple and another fourth crown of the fourth corresponding other surgical staple are parallel to each other and wherein said at least one of said second intermediate staple drivers further comprises;

a fifth staple support member comprising;

a fifth distal support column configured to support a fifth distal leg of a corresponding fifth other surgical staple thereon; and

a fifth proximal support column configured to support a fifth proximal leg of the corresponding fifth other surgical staple thereon and wherein a fifth crown of the fifth corresponding other surgical staple is transverse to the another first crown, the another second crown, the another third crown and the another fourth crown.

18. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 17, wherein said another first proximal support column and said another third proximal support column are each slidably supported in one of first and second cartridge wall portions of said cartridge body and wherein said another second proximal support column and said another fourth proximal support column are each slidably supported in the other one of said first and second cartridge wall portions.

19. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 17, further comprising:

a primary camming surface located adjacent to said another first proximal support column and said another third proximal support column and located inboard relative thereto; and

a secondary camming surface located adjacent to said another second proximal support column and said another fourth proximal support column and located inboard relative thereto.

20. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an axially movable sled comprising first and second camming members;

a surgical staple cartridge defining an elongate slot;

at least one distal staple driver movably supported in said surgical staple cartridge, each said distal staple driver configured to operably support two distal surgical staples thereon in a distal direction that is transverse to said elongate slot and comprising a first distal camming surface aligned for camming contact with said first camming member and a second distal camming surface aligned for camming contact with said second camming member;

at least one first intermediate staple driver movably supported in said surgical staple cartridge and supporting four first surgical staples thereon wherein two of the first surgical staples are oriented in a first direction and two other of the first surgical staples are oriented in a second direction that is transverse to said first direction, each said at least one first intermediate staple driver comprising a first camming surface aligned for camming contact with said first camming member and a second camming surface aligned for camming contact with said second camming member; and

at least one second intermediate staple driver slidably supported in said surgical staple cartridge adjacent at least one of said distal staple drivers and a corresponding one of said at least one first intermediate staple drivers, each said second intermediate staple driver configured to operably support at least five second surgical staples thereon, wherein at least one of the second surgical staples is oriented transversely relative to at least one other of the second surgical staples and wherein said at least one second intermediate staple driver comprises a first proximal camming surface aligned for camming contact with said first camming member and a second proximal camming surface aligned for camming contact with said second camming member.