SURGICAL STAPLER

• US 20100170932A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wenchell, Thomas, Cohen, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,408,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.100
• 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 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07257 characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1142 Purse-string sutures

Abstract

An anvil assembly comprising an anvil shaft and an anvil head, the anvil head having anvil depressions for forming surgical staples. The anvil head is mounted to the anvil shaft and the anvil shaft has a longitudinal axis and first and second spaced apart elongated projections attached to the anvil shaft and extending therefrom. The projections are configured and dimensioned to retain a purse string suture.

Claims

1. An anvil assembly comprising an anvil shaft and an anvil head, the anvil head having anvil depressions for forming surgical staples, the anvil head mounted to the anvil shaft, the anvil shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second spaced apart elongated projections attached to the anvil shaft and extending therefrom, the projections configured and dimensioned to retain a purse string suture.

2. The anvil assembly of claim 1, wherein the projections are positioned at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft.

3. The anvil assembly of claim 2, wherein the plurality of projections angle away from the anvil head toward a proximal end of the anvil shaft.

4. The anvil assembly of claim 1, further comprising mounting structure on the anvil shaft for releasably mounting the anvil shaft to a stapling instrument.

5. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein the plurality of projections are substantially equidistantly axially spaced.

6. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein the projections comprise a plurality of elongated pins.

18. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein the projections angle toward the proximal end of the anvil shaft.

7. An anvil assembly comprising an anvil shaft and an anvil head, the anvil head having anvil depressions for forming surgical staples, the anvil head mounted to the anvil shaft, the anvil shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second spaced apart cutouts formed therein, the cutouts progressively narrowing in width inwardly toward an opposite wall of the anvil shaft and configured and dimensioned to cinch a purse string suture positioned therein.

8. The anvil assembly of claim 7, wherein the cutouts curve inwardly toward the centerline.

9. The anvil assembly of claim 7, wherein the cutouts are substantially equidistantly spaced.

10. The anvil assembly of claim 7, wherein the cutouts are directed toward a distal end of the anvil shaft such that they form projecting regions angling toward a proximal end of the anvil shaft.

11. A surgical stapler comprising;

a handle assembly;

an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle assembly; and

a head portion disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongated body portion and including an anvil assembly and a shell assembly, the anvil assembly being movable in relation to the shell assembly between spaced and approximated positions, the anvil assembly having an anvil head and a plurality of elongated projections for receiving a purse string suture, the projections extending at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft such that longitudinal axis of the projections are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the anvil shaft.

12. The surgical stapler of claim 11, wherein the anvil assembly includes an anvil shaft extending proximally of the anvil head, the anvil shaft being removably mounted to an anvil retainer of the stapler.

13. The surgical stapler of claim 11, wherein the projections are integral with the anvil shaft and formed by angled cutouts in the anvil shaft, the cutouts angling toward a distal end of the anvil shaft.

14. The surgical stapler of claim 13, wherein the cutouts have a first dimension and a second dimension closer to a center of the anvil shaft smaller than the first dimension.

15. The surgical stapler of claim 14, wherein the dimension of the cutouts progressively decreases toward the longitudinal axis of the shaft to form cinch regions for the suture.

16. The surgical stapler of claim 11, wherein the projections are attached to the anvil shaft.

17. The surgical stapler of claim 16, wherein the plurality of projections comprises a plurality of pins substantially equidistantly longitudinally spaced.