INSTRUMENT FOR LIGATING SUTURING AND DIVIDING ORGANIC TUBULAR STRUCTURES

• US 3,735,762 A
• Filed: 12/29/1971
• Issued: 05/29/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David T. Green, Graham W. Bryan
• Original Assignee: David T. Green, Graham W. Bryan
• Inventors: Bryan, Graham W., Green, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Medbery, Aldrich F.
• Application Number:
  US05/213,574
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 128/305,318,334 29/243.57 140/93D
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53709 Overedge assembling means

Abstract

A medical instrument and associated cartridge for ligating an organic tubular structure, for suturing this structure in two places with a pair of sterilized staples and for dividing the tubular structure intermediate the suturing staples. The instrument is provided with a variable cam so that the ligating, suturing and dividing stages are all performed with uniform effort from the operating surgeon. The instrument is also provided with a counter for indicating the number of staples remaining in the cartridge. The novel cartridge ensures that the stapled and severed tubular structures are ejected from the instrument after the operation, operates smoothly without binding, and includes a lock which holds the elements of the cartridge in fixed positions during all stages of transit.

Claims

1. A staple-carrying cartridge for ligating, suturing and dividing an organic tubular structure, the cartridge comprising:

a rail assembly including a pair of parallel spaced anvil parts and knife guide means extending between said anvil parts and parallel thereto;

at least one wire suture associated with each of said anvil parts, said wire sutures being slidable with respect to said anvil parts;

a pusher element cooperating with said wire sutures and serving to eject same in pairs from said cartridge and to drive same against said anvils, thereby causing said wire sutures to become wrapped about said organic tubular structure held against said anvils;

a knife cooperating with said pusher for severing said tubular structure held against said anvils; and

means for ejecting the tubular structure havles from said anvils after the dividing operation is completed.

2. The cartridge defined in claim 1, wherein said means for ejecting tissue is in the form of at least one tissue ejecting plate lying parallel to and slidably mounted with respect to at least one of said parallel spaced anvil parts.

3. The cartridge defined in claim 2, wherein each of said anvil parts has an indentation defined therein, said indentation serving to house said organic tubular structure during the ligating, suturing and dividing operations;

and wherein said at least one tissue ejecting plate has first and second positions, the first position being remote from said indentations defined in said anvil parts and said second position extending into and blocking the passage to said indentations.

4. The cartridge defined in claim 3, and further comprising means for moving at least one tissue ejecting plate out of the region of said indentations during a suturing operation and into the region of said indentations after a suturing operation.

5. The cartridge defined in claim 1, and further comprising locking means for maintaining the relative positions between the moveable elements of said cartridge, during all stages of transit, in positions ready to be inserted into its associated surgical instrument.

6. The cartridge defined in claim 5, wherein said locking means maintains the relative positions between said rail assembly and said pusher.

7. The cartridge defined in claim 6, wherein said pusher is provided with a locking indentation;

and said rail assembly is provided with a locking projection;

said projection and said indentation adapted to mate when the relative positions of said moveable elements are ready for insertion into the associated surgical instrument, and wherein said locking means may be easily disengaged from one another after insertion of said cartridge into said surgical instrument.