Surgical stapling apparatus with locking mechanism

• US 20070175948A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Marczyk, Stanislaw, Scirica, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• 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 surgical stapling apparatus and/or 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 distal end and a proximal end, a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit, and a locking mechanism supported on the housing portion of the loading unit. The locking mechanism has a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly in a ready-to-load position relative to the housing portion of the loading unit. The locking mechanism is pivotable to a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion.

Claims

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

a housing portion including a distal end and an elongate body extending from the distal end thereof;

a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit; and

a locking mechanism pivotally supported on the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism having a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages a portion of the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly relative to the housing portion of the loading unit, and the locking mechanism having a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion,

wherein the locking mechanism is configured for actuation from the first position to the second position in response to a connection of the loading unit to the elongate body of the surgical stapling apparatus.

1. A surgical apparatus comprising:

a housing including an elongate body extending therefrom; and

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

a housing portion including a distal end and a proximal end;

a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit; and

a locking mechanism pivotally supported on the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism having a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages a portion of the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly relative to the housing portion of the loading unit, and the locking mechanism having a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion,

wherein the locking mechanism is configured for movement from the first position to the second position in response to a connection of the loading unit to the elongate body of the housing.

2. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes:

a lever pivotably connected to the housing portion and defining a pivot point, the lever having a distal end extending distally of the pivot point and a proximal end extending proximally of the pivot point, the distal end of the lever including a hook formed therein for selectively engaging a portion of the drive assembly, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position the hook engages the portion of the drive assembly and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the hook is disengaged from the portion of the drive assembly.

3. The surgical apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position, the proximal end of the lever is moved radially inward relative to a central longitudinal axis of the loading unit and the distal end of the lever is moved radially outward relative to the central longitudinal axis of the loading unit.

4. The surgical apparatus of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position upon a coupling of the loading unit to a distal end of the elongate body.

5. The surgical apparatus of claim 4, wherein the loading unit and the elongate body are configured for twisting engagement with one another, and wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position by a twisting action of the loading unit relative to the elongate body when the proximal end of the housing portion of the loading unit is inserted in to the distal end of the elongate body.

6. The surgical apparatus of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism further includes a biasing member operatively associated therewith, wherein the biasing member biases the lever to the first position.

7. The surgical apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position, the proximal end of the lever extends radially beyond an outer surface of the housing portion.

8. The surgical apparatus of claim 7, wherein the proximal end of the lever of the locking mechanism defines an angled surface to facilitate connection with the elongate body.

9. The surgical apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an elongate body extending from the housing, the elongate body including a distal end configured and dimensioned to selectively receive the proximal end of the housing portion of the loading unit.

10. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes:

a lever having a distal end pivotably connected to the housing portion and a free proximal end; and

a tooth extending radially inward from the lever, wherein the tooth selectively engages an engagement surface formed on the drive assembly such that when the locking mechanism is in the first position the tooth engages the engagement surface of the drive assembly and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the tooth is disengaged from the engagement surface of the drive assembly.

11. The surgical apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position, the lever is pivoted about the distal end thereof such that a longitudinal axis of the lever is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing portion.

12. The surgical apparatus of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position by a projection extending radially inward of the elongate body, the projection acting on a side surface of the lever as the loading unit is twisted into loaded engagement in the elongate body.

13. The surgical apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position the lever is substantially axially aligned with a nub extending radially outward from the proximal end of the housing portion and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the lever is out of axial alignment with the nub of the insertion tip.

14. The surgical apparatus of claim 13, wherein the proximal end of the lever includes a nub extending toward the proximal end of the housing portion, and wherein the proximal end of the housing portion includes a recess formed in the surface thereof for receipt of the nub of the lever when the lever is in the first position.

16. The surgical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism further includes a biasing member operatively associated therewith, wherein the biasing member tends to maintain the lever in the first position.

17. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surgical apparatus is a stapler.

18. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an elongate body extending from the housing.

19. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the housing portion of the loading unit defines an insertion tip.

21. The loading unit of claim 20, wherein the locking mechanism includes:

a lever pivotably connected to the housing portion ad defining a pivot point, the lever having a distal end extending distally of the pivot point and a proximal end extending proximally of the pivot point, the distal end of the lever including a hook formed therein for selectively engaging a portion of the drive assembly, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position the hook engages the portion of the drive assembly and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the hook is disengaged from the portion of the drive assembly.

22. The loading unit of claim 21, wherein when the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position, the proximal end of the lever is moved radially inward relative to a central longitudinal axis of the loading unit and the distal end of the lever is moved radially outward relative to the central longitudinal axis of the loading unit.

23. The loading unit of claim 22, wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position upon a coupling of the elongate body of the loading unit to a free end of the elongate body of the surgical stapling apparatus.

24. The loading unit of claim 23, wherein the elongate body of the loading unit and the elongate body of the surgical stapling apparatus are configured for twisting engagement with one another, and wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position by a twisting action of the loading unit relative to the elongate body of the surgical stapling apparatus when the elongate body of the loading unit is inserted in to the free end of the elongate body of the surgical stapling apparatus.

25. The loading unit of claim 24, wherein the locking mechanism further includes a biasing member operatively associated therewith, wherein the biasing member biases the lever to the first position.

26. The loading unit of claim 25, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position, the proximal end of the lever extends radially beyond an outer surface of the housing portion.

27. The loading unit of claim 26, wherein the proximal end of the lever of the locking mechanism defines an angled surface to facilitate connection with the elongate body of the loading unit.

28. The loading unit of claim 20, wherein the locking mechanism includes:

a lever having a distal end pivotably connected to the housing portion and a free proximal end; and

a tooth extending radially inward from the lever, wherein the tooth selectively engages an engagement surface formed on the drive assembly such that when the locking mechanism is in the first position the tooth engages the engagement surface of the drive assembly and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the tooth is disengaged from the engagement surface of the drive assembly.

29. The loading unit of claim 28, wherein when the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position, the lever is pivoted about the distal end thereof such that a longitudinal axis of the lever is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing portion.

30. The loading unit of claim 29, wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position by a projection extending radially inward of the elongate body, the projection acting on a side surface of the lever as the loading unit is twisted into loaded engagement in the elongate body.

31. The loading unit of claim 30, wherein when the locking mechanism is in the first position the lever is substantially axially aligned with a nub extending radially outward from the proximal end of the housing portion and when the locking mechanism is in the second position the lever is out of axial alignment with the nub of the proximal end of the housing portion.

32. The loading unit of claim 31, wherein the proximal end of the lever includes a nub extending toward the proximal end of the housing portion, and wherein the insertion tip includes a recess formed in the surface thereof for receipt of the nub of the lever when the lever is in the first position.

33. The loading unit of claim 32, wherein the locking mechanism further includes a biasing member operatively associated therewith, wherein the biasing member tends to maintain the lever in the first position.

34. The loading unit of claim 20, wherein the loading unit functions as a stapler.

33-1. The loading unit of claim 20, wherein the proximal end of the housing portion of the loading unit defines an insertion tip.