Surgical stapling apparatus

• US 20050279804A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Czernik, Roman, Scirica, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for a loading unit for use with and/or supportable on a distal end of a surgical stapling apparatus. The loading unit includes a housing portion including a connecting feature, preferably in the form of a pair of axially oriented and diametrically opposed slots formed therein, and a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit, the drive assembly including a pair of axially spaced apart radially inwardly extending fingers, wherein when the distal end of a control rod of a surgical stapling apparatus is axially advanced in the direction of and engages the resilient fingers, the distal end of the control rod biases the resilient fingers radially outward into the slots of the housing portion.

Claims

1. A surgical apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a control rod extending distally from the housing; and

a loading unit supportable on a distal end of the housing, the loading unit including;

a housing portion including a pair of axially oriented and diametrically opposed slots formed therein; and

a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit, the drive assembly adapted to engage the control rod and including at least one radially inwardly extending resilient finger, wherein when the distal end of the control rod is axially advanced in the direction of and engages the at least one resilient finger, the distal end of the control rod biases the at least one resilient finger radially outward into the slots of the housing portion.

2. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion of the loading unit includes an upper housing half portion and a lower housing half portion, and each of the upper and lower housing half portions includes one of the pair of slots formed therein.

3. The surgical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the slots formed in each of the upper and lower housing half portions of the loading unit are radially oriented.

4. The surgical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the slots extend at least partially into the housing portion of the loading unit.

5. The surgical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the slots extend completely through the housing portion of the loading unit.

6. The surgical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each resilient finger of the loading unit includes a tip and wherein the tips are oriented towards one another.

7. The surgical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the resilient fingers of the loading unit return to an unbiased state when the enlarged distal end of the control rod has passed distally beyond the tips of the resilient fingers.

8. The surgical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the surgical apparatus is a stapler.

9. A loading unit for use with and/or supportable on a distal end of a surgical stapling apparatus, the loading unit comprising:

a housing portion including a pair of axially oriented and diametrically opposed slots formed therein; and

a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit, the drive assembly adapted to engage a control rod of the surgical stapling apparatus and including at least one radially inwardly extending resilient fingers, wherein when the distal end of the control rod is axially advanced in the direction of and engages the at least one resilient finger, the distal end of the control rod biases the at least one resilient finger radially outward into the slots of the housing portion.

10. The loading unit according to claim 9, wherein the housing portion includes an upper housing half portion and a lower housing half portion, and each of the upper and lower housing half portions includes one of the pair of slots formed therein.

11. The loading unit according to claim 10, wherein the slots formed in each of the upper and lower housing half portions are radially oriented.

12. The loading unit according to claim 11, wherein the slots extend at least partially into the housing portion.

13. The loading unit according to claim 11, wherein the slots extend completely through the housing portion.

14. The loading unit according to claim 13, wherein each resilient finger includes a tip and wherein the tips are oriented towards one another.

15. The loading unit according to claim 14, wherein the resilient fingers return to an unbiased state when the enlarged distal end of the control rod has passed distally beyond the tips of the resilient fingers.

16. The loading unit according to claim 15, wherein the loading unit functions as a surgical stapler.