Staple drive assembly
First Claim
1. A staple drive assembly comprising:
- an actuation sled having a base;
at least one camming member disposed on the actuation sled, the at least one camming member including spaced apart first and second cam wedges, each cam wedge including at least first and second drive faces, the at least first and second drive faces being configured to define first and second drive angles with respect to the base wherein the first drive angle is less than the second drive angle;
a staple pusher having spaced apart first and second cam members, each cam member having at least one engagement surface; and
a plurality of pusher plates disposed on the staple pusher.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A staple drive assembly includes an actuation sled and at least one staple pusher. The staple drive assembly is adapted to fit within a staple cartridge having a plurality of staples and a corresponding number of retention slots. The at least one staple pusher includes at least one pusher plate for releasably engaging a backspan of a staple. The staple pusher may include a plurality of pusher plates that may be laterally and longitudinally spaced apart. An actuation member has at least one angled camming surface for engaging a complimentary angled surface of the at least one staple pusher. Camming engagement between the actuation member and the at least one staple pusher causes vertical movement of the at least one staple pusher. Lateral and longitudinal offset of the actuation member camming surfaces and the corresponding staple pusher following surfaces improves stability and control of the staple pusher during firing.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A staple drive assembly comprising:
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an actuation sled having a base;
at least one camming member disposed on the actuation sled, the at least one camming member including spaced apart first and second cam wedges, each cam wedge including at least first and second drive faces, the at least first and second drive faces being configured to define first and second drive angles with respect to the base wherein the first drive angle is less than the second drive angle;
a staple pusher having spaced apart first and second cam members, each cam member having at least one engagement surface; and
a plurality of pusher plates disposed on the staple pusher. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A staple cartridge comprising:
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an elongate body member having a number of staple retention slots;
a plurality of staples releasably received in the retention slots;
a plurality of staple pushers disposed along a longitudinal axis of the elongate body member, wherein each staple pusher is movable between a first position and a second position, each staple pusher including a first cam member, a second cam member, and a plurality of pusher plates, each cam member defining a first receiving angle and a second receiving angle; and
an actuation sled disposed in the elongate body member and longitudinally translatable therethrough, the actuation sled including a pair of camming members, each camming member having first and second cam wedges, the first cam wedge being laterally and longitudinally spaced apart from the second cam wedge, wherein each cam wedge is configured to define a first driving angle and a second driving angle, the first and second driving angles being complementary to the respective first and second receiving angles of the respective first and second cam members. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A staple pusher comprising:
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a first cam member;
a second cam member laterally spaced from the first cam member, wherein the second cam member is axially offset from the first cam member; and
at least one pusher plate supported by the first and second cam members. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An actuation sled comprising:
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a base;
a first camming member disposed on the base, the first camming member having first and second cam wedges, the first cam wedge being laterally and longitudinally spaced apart from the second cam wedge, each cam wedge configured to define at least one driving angle with respect to the base; and
a second camming member disposed on the base and laterally spaced apart from the first camming member, the second camming member having first and second cam wedges, the first cam wedge being laterally and longitudinally spaced apart from the second cam wedge, each cam wedge configured to define at least one driving angle with respect to the base. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A staple cartridge comprising:
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an elongate body member having a number of staple retention slots;
a plurality of staples releasably received in the retention slots;
at least one staple pusher disposed along a longitudinal axis of the elongate body member, wherein the at least one staple pusher is movable between a first position and a second position, each staple pusher including a first cam member, a second cam member, and a plurality of pusher plates, each cam member defining a first receiving angle and a second receiving angle; and
an actuation sled disposed in the elongate body member and longitudinally translatable therethrough, the actuation sled including a pair of camming members, each camming member having first and second cam wedges, the first cam wedge being laterally and longitudinally spaced apart from the second cam wedge, wherein each cam wedge is configured to define a first driving angle and a second driving angle, the first driving angle being complementary to the respective second receiving angle and the second driving angle being complementary to the first receiving angle of the respective first and second cam members.
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34. In a surgical stapler having a staple cartridge with a tissue contacting surface and containing a plurality of surgical staples to be sequentially ejected from the staple cartridge substantially perpendicular to the tissue engaging surface by at least one camming member translating through the staple cartridge to engage a plurality of staple pushers associated with the surgical staples, the improvement comprising a staple pusher having a plurality of camming surfaces defining at least two different angles relative to the tissue engaging surface.
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35. In a surgical stapler having a staple cartridge with a tissue contacting surface and containing a plurality of surgical staples to be sequentially ejected from the staple cartridge substantially perpendicular to the tissue engaging surface by at least one camming member translating through the staple cartridge to engage a plurality of staple pushers associated with the surgical staples, the improvement comprising a staple pusher having a plurality of staple pusher camming surfaces defining at least two different angles relative to the tissue engaging surface, and a camming member defining a plurality of camming member camming surfaces corresponding substantially to the staple pusher camming surfaces.
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36. A method of firing surgical staples comprising:
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providing a surgical stapler having a staple cartridge containing a plurality of surgical staples to be sequentially ejected from the staple cartridge by at least one camming member translating through the staple cartridge to engage a plurality of staple pushers associated with the surgical staples, each staple pusher having first and second staple pusher camming surfaces and the camming member having at least first and second camming member camming surfaces;
translating the camming member through the staple cartridge such that the first camming member camming surface contacts the first staple pusher camming surface and thereafter the second camming member camming surface contacts the second staple pusher camming surface to eject the surgical staples from the staple cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. In a surgical stapler having a staple cartridge with a tissue contacting surface and containing a plurality of staples to be sequentially ejected from the staple cartridge substantially perpendicular to the tissue contacting surface by at least one actuation member translating through the staple cartridge to engage a plurality of staple pushers associated with the surgical staples, wherein the improvement comprises at least one actuation member having a plurality of camming surfaces defining at least two different drive angles, the first drive angle being less than the second drive angle.
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40. In a surgical stapler having a staple cartridge with a tissue contacting surface and containing a plurality of staples to be sequentially ejected from the staple cartridge substantially perpendicular to the tissue contacting surface by at least one actuation member translating through the staple cartridge to engage a plurality of staple pushers associated with the surgical staples, wherein the improvement comprises at least one actuation member having a plurality of camming surfaces defining at least two different angles relative to the tissue contacting surface and wherein the plurality of camming surfaces are longitudinally spaced apart.
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41. A staple drive assembly comprising:
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an actuation member having a base and a distal end;
at least one camming member disposed on the distal end, the at least one camming member including spaced apart first and second cam wedges, each cam wedge including at least first and second drive faces, the at least first and second drive faces being configured to define first and second drive angles with respect to the base wherein the first drive angle is less than the second drive angle;
a staple pusher having spaced apart first and second cam members, each cam member having at least one engagement surface; and
a plurality of pusher plates disposed on the staple pusher. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification