STAPLE CARTRIDGES FOR FORMING STAPLES HAVING DIFFERING FORMED STAPLE HEIGHTS
First Claim
1. A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil that includes at least one tissue stop portion thereon, the surgical staple cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the anvil is moved to a closed position;
a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a first surgical staple thereon to define a linear row of first surgical staples within the cartridge body; and
a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a second surgical staple thereon to define another linear row of second surgical staples within the cartridge body and wherein a proximal-most first driver and a proximal-most second driver are configured and positioned within the cartridge body such that at least a portion of one first surgical staple and at least a portion of one second surgical staple are located proximal to a distal end of at least one of the tissue stop portions on the anvil when the first and second surgical staples are driven into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil and such that the first surgical staples have a formed staple height that differs from a formed height of the second surgical staples.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied without the need to use different sizes of staples.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil that includes at least one tissue stop portion thereon, the surgical staple cartridge comprising:
-
a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the anvil is moved to a closed position; a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a first surgical staple thereon to define a linear row of first surgical staples within the cartridge body; and a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a second surgical staple thereon to define another linear row of second surgical staples within the cartridge body and wherein a proximal-most first driver and a proximal-most second driver are configured and positioned within the cartridge body such that at least a portion of one first surgical staple and at least a portion of one second surgical staple are located proximal to a distal end of at least one of the tissue stop portions on the anvil when the first and second surgical staples are driven into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil and such that the first surgical staples have a formed staple height that differs from a formed height of the second surgical staples. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil that includes at least one tissue stop portion thereon, the surgical staple cartridge comprising:
-
a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the anvil is moved to a closed position, the cartridge body including an elongate slot for receiving a cutting portion of the surgical instrument; a plurality of first staple drivers operably supported in said cartridge body and configured to eject surgical staples into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil in at least two linear rows located on at least one lateral side of the elongate slot such that at least a portion of a proximal-most surgical staple in each said linear row is located proximal to a distal end of at least one of the tissue stop portions on the anvil when the surgical staples are ejected into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil; and a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to eject other surgical staples in another linear row located on said at least one lateral side of the elongate slot into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil such that a proximal-most other surgical staple in said another linear row is distal to the distal end of the at least one tissue stop and wherein the other surgical staples ejected by the second staple drivers have a formed staple height that differs from a formed staple height of the surgical staples in at least one said linear row of surgical staples ejected by said first staple drivers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
-
a firing system for generating firing motions; a closure system for generating opening and closing motions; an implement portion operably interfacing with the firing and closure systems, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel operably interfacing with the firing and closure systems and configured to support a staple cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and being movable between open and closed positions relative to the elongate channel in response to closure and opening motions from the closure system; a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable within the elongate channel in response to firing motions applied thereto by the firing system; and a staple cartridge comprising; a cartridge body supportable within the elongate channel, said cartridge body having a non-planar deck surface configured to confront a staple forming portion of the anvil when the anvil is in a closed position; a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body and being sequentially movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position upon sequential interaction with the firing device, each said first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle therein for supporting a staple thereon, each said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the staple forming portion of the closed anvil; and a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body and being laterally spaced from said first staple drivers, each said second staple driver being sequentially movable from another unactuated position to another actuated position upon sequential interaction with the firing device, each said second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle therein for supporting another staple thereon, each said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another corresponding portion of the staple forming portion of the closed anvil that corresponds to the second staple support cradle and wherein said second staple forming distance differs in magnitude from said first staple forming distance. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification