ARTICULATING SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING A TWO-PIECE E-BEAM FIRING MECHANISM
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion; and
an implement portion responsive to the firing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising;
an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and including a channel slot, a staple cartridge received by the elongate channel and incorporating a proximally positioned wedge member aligned to cam upward a driver supporting a staple,an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and including an anvil channel,a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member engageable to the anvil channel, a lower member engaging the channel slot, and a middle member operable to actuate the staple cartridge by distally translating the wedge member of the staple cartridge, the firing device positively engaging both the elongate channel and the anvil during longitudinal firing travel to provide spacing therebetween for staple formation,an articulation joint proximally coupled to the elongate channel, anda thinned firing strip proximally attached to the firing device for transferring the firing motion from the handle portion through the articulation joint.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical severing and stapling instrument, suitable for laparoscopic and endoscopic clinical procedures, clamps tissue within an end effector of an elongate channel pivotally opposed by an anvil. An E-beam firing bar moves distally through the clamped end effector to sever tissue and to drive staples on each side of the cut. The E-beam firing bar affirmatively spaces the anvil from the elongate channel to assure properly formed closed staples, especially when an amount of tissue is clamped that is inadequate to space the end effector. In particular, an upper pin of the firing bar longitudinally moves through an anvil slot and a channel slot is captured between a lower cap and a middle pin of the firing bar to assure a minimum spacing. Forming the E-beam from a thickened distal portion and a thinned proximal strip enhances manufacturability and facilitates use in such articulating surgical instruments.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the firing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and including a channel slot, a staple cartridge received by the elongate channel and incorporating a proximally positioned wedge member aligned to cam upward a driver supporting a staple, an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and including an anvil channel, a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member engageable to the anvil channel, a lower member engaging the channel slot, and a middle member operable to actuate the staple cartridge by distally translating the wedge member of the staple cartridge, the firing device positively engaging both the elongate channel and the anvil during longitudinal firing travel to provide spacing therebetween for staple formation, an articulation joint proximally coupled to the elongate channel, and a thinned firing strip proximally attached to the firing device for transferring the firing motion from the handle portion through the articulation joint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the firing motions from the handle portion and diametrically dimensioned for endo-surgical use, the implement portion comprising; a shaft coupled to the handle portion operable to separately transfer the firing motion and the closing motion, an elongate channel coupled to the shaft and including a channel slot, an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, responsive to the closing motion from the shaft, and including an anvil channel, a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, the firing device including a lower portion slidingly engaged to the elongate channel and an upper portioned positioned to slidingly engage the anvil during firing, engagement of the firing device to the elongate channel and the anvil maintaining a spacing therebetween; and a thinned strip proximally attached to the firing device operable to transfer the firing motion to the firing device. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a handle means for producing a closing motion and a firing motion; a clamping means responsive to the closing motion to clamp tissue; a firing means responsive to the firing motion for vertically spacing the clamping means and for causing severing and stapling of clamped tissue therein; and an articulation mechanism operably configured to articulate the clamping means relative to the handle means; and a thinned firing strip proximally attached to the firing means for bending through the articulation mechanism and for longitudinally transferring the firing motion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification