SURGICAL STAPLER WITH MAGNETICALLY SECURED COMPONENTS
First Claim
1. A surgical stapler comprising:
- a stapler body having at a distal end thereof a stapler head for ejecting staple blanks through a plurality of staple openings; and
a separate anvil having staple-forming grooves therein for bending said ejected staple blanks into staples for fastening together tissue layers interposed between said staple head and said anvil;
wherein said stapler head and said anvil include first and second magnetic members, respectively, at least one of said magnetic members comprising a first magnet, and the other of said magnetic members comprising a second magnet or a non-magnetized magnetically permeable member, said magnetic members being positioned on said stapler head and said anvil for magnetically coupling said anvil to said stapler head through the tissue layers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapler includes a stapler head with a stapler cartridge from which staple blanks are ejected against an anvil with grooves that bend the staple blanks into staples that hold together tissue layers interposed between the anvil and stapler cartridge. The anvil and stapler head each includes magnetic members, at least one of which is a magnet and the other of which is either another magnet or a non-magnetized magnetically permeable member. Placing the anvil and stapler head in proximity with each other causes them to be magnetically coupled together with the anvil opposing the stapler cartridge. The anvil is then locked to the stapler head mechanically so that the tissues captured therebetween can be secured together by actuating the stapler to eject staple blanks against the anvil. In another aspect of the invention, the staple cartridge is removably secured to the stapler head by a similar magnetic arrangement.
1377 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical stapler comprising:
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a stapler body having at a distal end thereof a stapler head for ejecting staple blanks through a plurality of staple openings; and a separate anvil having staple-forming grooves therein for bending said ejected staple blanks into staples for fastening together tissue layers interposed between said staple head and said anvil; wherein said stapler head and said anvil include first and second magnetic members, respectively, at least one of said magnetic members comprising a first magnet, and the other of said magnetic members comprising a second magnet or a non-magnetized magnetically permeable member, said magnetic members being positioned on said stapler head and said anvil for magnetically coupling said anvil to said stapler head through the tissue layers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of performing a surgical procedure comprising the steps of:
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providing a surgical stapler including a stapler body having at a distal end thereof a stapler head for ejecting staple blanks through a plurality of staple openings and an anvil having staple-forming grooves therein for bending said ejected staple blanks into staples for fastening together tissue layers interposed between said staple head and said anvil, wherein said stapler head includes a locking member for cooperating with said anvil to lock said anvil into place with the tissue layers clamped therebetween and with said staple-forming grooves aligned with said staple ejecting openings, and wherein said stapler head and said anvil include first and second magnetic members, respectively, at least one of said magnetic members comprising a first magnet, and the other of said magnetic members comprising a second magnet or a non-magnetized magnetically permeable member, said magnetic members being positioned on said stapler head and said anvil for magnetically coupling said anvil to said stapler head through the tissue layers; placing said anvil at a predetermined location in a luminous body part; resecting the body part to provide a sealed distal end having said anvil proximate thereto and a sealed proximal end; introducing said stapler head through a bodily orifice connected to the body part to a position proximate to a sealed proximal end of the luminous body part; bringing said distal and proximal sealed ends of the body part into proximity to cause said first and second magnetic members to couple magnetically with the sealed ends of the body part captured between said anvil and said stapler head; extending said locking member from said stapler head through the proximal and distal ends of the body part to said anvil to clamp the ends between said stapler head and said anvil; and ejecting staples from said head to form an annular stapled connection between the ends of the body part. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A surgical stapler comprising:
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a stapler body having at a distal end thereof a stapler head; and a staple cartridge for ejecting staple blanks through a plurality of staple openings onto an anvil having staple-forming grooves therein for bending said ejected staple blanks into staples for fastening together tissue layers interposed between said staple head and said anvil; wherein said stapler head and said staple cartridge include first and second magnetic members, respectively, at least one of said magnetic members comprising a first magnet, and the other of said magnetic members comprising a second magnet or a non-magnetized magnetically permeable member, said magnetic members being positioned on said stapler head and said cartridge for magnetically coupling said cartridge to said stapler head. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification