SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CURVILINEAR TISSUE-CONTACTING SURFACES

• US 20110017800A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Viola, Frank J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• 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 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument including a handle assembly, an elongated body portion, a shell assembly and an anvil assembly. The elongated body portion extends distally from the handle assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The shell assembly is disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongated body portion and includes a non-planar, tissue-contacting surface oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis. The anvil assembly includes a non-planar, tissue-contacting surface oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis. The tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly is configured to align with the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly when the anvil assembly and shell assembly are in the approximated position.

Claims

1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis;

a shell assembly disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongated body portion, the shell assembly including a non-planar, tissue-contacting surface oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis; and

an anvil assembly including a non-planar, tissue-contacting surface oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis;

wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly is configured to align with the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly when the anvil assembly and shell assembly are in an approximated position.

2. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly and the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly are each curvilinear along at least a portion of their lengths.

3. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly includes at least one convexly curved section and at least one concavely curved section.

4. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly includes at least one convexly curved section and at least one concavely curved section.

5. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly includes at least one convexly curved section and at least one concavely curved section.

6. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly includes two curvilinear segments, the curvilinear segments being separated by a concave point and a convex point.

7. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly includes two curvilinear segments, the curvilinear segments being separated by a first point and a second point.

8. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the shell assembly and the anvil assembly create a staple line disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis.

9. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the shell assembly and the anvil assembly create a substantially elliptical staple line.

10. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the elongated body portion includes a longitudinally curved portion.

11. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly and the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly are each curvilinear along at least a majority of their lengths.

12. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the anvil assembly has first and second arrays of pockets to receive fasteners fired from the shell assembly, the first array lying in multiple non-parallel planes.

13. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the shell assembly has first and second arrays of fasteners, each array lying in multiple non-parallel planes.

14. The surgical stapling instrument portion of claim 12, wherein the second array of pockets lies in multiple non-parallel planes.

15. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the anvil assembly includes an anvil rod detachably mountable to the surgical instrument.

16. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the shell assembly includes two curvilinear segments, each curvilinear segment being a substantially mirror image of the other.

17. The surgical stapling instrument portion claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting surface of the anvil assembly includes two curvilinear segments, each curvilinear segment being a substantially mirror image of the other,