Surgical staple cartridge with enhanced knife clearance

• US 10,194,908 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Duque, Grant, McNamara, Thomas N., Smith, Jeffrey A., Thompson, Bennie, Wellman, Ashley, Wilson, Jr., Donald Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/279,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 2271751-1821, 606 75, 606219
• 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 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• 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 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays

Abstract

A surgical instrument having an elongated shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end. An end effector is coupled to the shaft distal end and includes opposed jaws. A housing is included in one of the jaws, the housing having a housing proximal end, a housing distal end, an upper surface, a distal garage having lateral surfaces that extend above the upper surface, and a plurality of staple openings extending through the upper surface. A knife member is supported within the housing for movement distally. The knife member is moveable into a predetermined parked position such that a first portion of the cutting blade displaces below the upper surface and a second portion remains displaced above the upper surface. There is enough lateral clearance in the predetermined parked position between the lateral faces and the second portion to accommodate a dislodged staple.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

an elongated shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end;

an end effector coupled to the shaft distal end and including opposed jaws;

a knife member having a cutting blade configured to cut when the knife member is moved distally toward a predetermined parked position; and

a housing included in one of the jaws;

the housing including;

a planar upper surface having a plurality of staple openings extending through the planar upper surface, each of the staple opening being configured to accommodate and guide a respective staple during ejection of the staple in an upward direction relative to the planar upper surface;

a longitudinal slot accommodating distal movement of the knife member and through which a portion of the cutting blade extends beyond the planar upper surface during a cutting motion of the knife member; and

a distal garage configured to accommodate the knife member in the predetermined parked position;

the distal garage including a pair lateral surfaces between which an exposed portion of the cutting blade that protrudes beyond the planar upper surface when the knife member is in the predetermined parked position is disposed;

each of the pair of lateral surfaces being oriented transverse to the planar upper surface, extending in the upward direction relative to the planar upper surface, and offset from the exposed portion of the cutting blade by more than 0.25 mm.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the pair of lateral surfaces at least partially define a notch in the distal garage sized to accommodate the exposed portion of the cutting blade and a dislodged staple wrapped around the exposed portion of the cutting blade when the knife member is in the predetermined parked position, the dislodges staple having a wire diameter of up to 0.25 mm.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the knife member is moveable into the predetermined parked position via translation and rotation of the knife member such that a portion of the cutting blade displaces below the planar upper surface and the exposed portion of the cutting blade remains above the planar upper surface.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the garage includes at least one staple ejecting surface configured to engage a dislodged staple wrapped around the cutting blade and cause the dislodged staple to move along the cutting blade away from the planar upper surface as the knife member is moved toward the predetermined parked position.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is transverse each of the pair of lateral surfaces.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is non-parallel to the planar upper surface.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is at an angle ranging from 30-60°

with respect to the planar upper surface.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the knife member is carried by a drive member.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein in the predetermined parked position the drive member is fully displaced within the distal garage.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the pair of lateral surfaces diverge at an angle ranging from 25-45°

.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the garage includes at least one staple ejecting surface configured to engage a dislodged staple wrapped around the cutting blade and cause the dislodged staple to move along the cutting blade away from the planar upper surface as the knife member is moved toward the predetermined parked position.

15. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is transverse each of the pair of lateral surfaces.

16. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is non-parallel to the planar upper surface.

17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is at an angle ranging from 30-60°

with respect to the planar upper surface.

11. A demountably attachable cartridge of a surgical instrument, the cartridge comprising:

a knife member having a cutting blade configured to cut when the knife member is moved distally toward a predetermined parked position; and

a housing included in one of the jaws and demountably attachable to an end effector of the surgical instrument, the housing including;

a planar upper surface having a plurality of staple openings extending through the planar upper surface, each of the staple opening being configured to accommodate and guide a respective staple during ejection of the staple in an upward direction relative to the planar upper surface;

a longitudinal slot accommodating distal movement of the knife member and through which a portion of the cutting blade extends beyond the planar upper surface during a cutting motion of the knife member; and

a distal garage configured to accommodate the knife member in the predetermined parked position;

the distal garage including a pair lateral surfaces between which an exposed portion of the cutting blade that protrudes beyond the planar upper surface when the knife member is in the predetermined parked position is disposed;

each of the pair of lateral surfaces being oriented transverse to the planar upper surface, extending in the upward direction relative to the planar upper surface, and offset from the exposed portion of the cutting blade by more than 0.25 mm.

12. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the pair of lateral surfaces at least partially define a notch in the distal garage sized to accommodate the exposed portion of the cutting blade and a dislodged staple wrapped around the exposed portion of the cutting blade when the knife member is in the predetermined parked position, the dislodges staple having a wire diameter of up to 0.25 mm.

13. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the knife member is moveable into the predetermined parked position via translation and rotation of the knife member such that a portion of the cutting blade displaces below the planar upper surface and the exposed portion of the cutting blade remains above the planar upper surface.

18. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the knife member is carried by a drive member.

19. The cartridge of claim 18, wherein in the predetermined parked position the drive member is fully displaced within the distal garage.

20. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the pair of lateral surfaces diverge at an angle ranging from 25-45°

.