SURGICAL STAPLER WITH VISUAL POSITIONAL INDICATOR

• US 20110036891A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zemlok, Michael A., Ross, Adam J.
• Application Number:
  US12/792,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20110036891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/94 coded with symbols, e.g. text

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a surgical stapler for applying sterilized staples to body tissue. The surgical stapler includes a cartridge housing a plurality of fasteners, an anvil mounted adjacent the cartridge, a drive assembly configured to translate through the cartridge to eject the fasteners therefrom, and at least one visual indicator configured to indicate a position of the drive assembly, wherein the visual indicator includes a material that provides an optical contrast with at least one of the cartridge and the anvil.

Claims

1. A surgical tool apparatus for applying sterilized staples to body tissue comprising:

a cartridge housing a plurality of fasteners;

an anvil mounted adjacent the cartridge;

a drive assembly configured to translate through the cartridge to eject the fasteners therefrom; and

at least one visual indicator configured to indicate a position of the drive assembly, wherein the visual indicator includes a material that provides an optical contrast with at least one of the cartridge and the anvil.

2. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one visual indicator provides the surgeon with information selected from a group consisting of clamp position, overall travel distance, proximal limit, and distal limit.

3. The surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the optical contrast is selected from a group consisting of contrasting colors, variations in reflectivity, and luminescent coating.

4. The surgical tool of claim 1, further comprising at least one opening formed on the anvil, wherein the opening is adapted to facilitate visualization of the visual indicator.

5. The surgical tool of claim 4, wherein the at least one opening is a slot.

6. The surgical tool of claim 4, further comprising indicia placed about the at least one opening.

7. The surgical tool of claim 6, wherein the indicia including a material that provides an optical contrast.

8. The surgical tool of claim 7, wherein the optical contrast is selected from a group consisting of contrasting colors, variations in reflectivity, and luminescence coating.