HEMOSTAT AND ATTACHMENT FOR SUTURING ORGANIC TUBULAR STRUCTURES

• US 3,844,289 A
• Filed: 04/13/1973
• Issued: 10/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas G. Noiles
• Original Assignee: Douglas G. Noiles
• Inventors: Noiles, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Jr., James L.
• Application Number:
  US05/350,956
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334R,326 29/243.56,243.57
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53783 Clip applier

Abstract

A hemostat provided with a disposable staple-carrying cartridge movably attached thereto. The jaws of the hemostat are parted, through an opening at the forward end of the cartridge, and, for example, a bleeding organic tubular structure is positioned between the hemostat jaws. The jaws of the hemostat are closed, clamping the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'bleeder'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' therebetween, and then the opening at the forward end of the cartridge is closed. The cartridge is subsequently moved so that the closed forward end of the cartridge is displaced away from a position surrounding the hemostat jaws and into a position surrounding the bleeder. The cartridge is activated by the surgeon, and a U-shaped staple is urged forward, made to surround the bleeder and then seals the same. After the seal, the hemostat is removed. Means are provided for preventing misfiring of the cartridge when a staple is in an improper position, or when the cartridge is exhausted of its supply of staples.

Claims

1. The method for ligating tubular structures and tissue masses with surgical staples while the structures to be ligated are clamped between the clamping jaws of a hemostat, and wherein a staple-carrying cartridge is moveably mounted on one of two pivotally connected arms of the hemostat, wherein the cartridge has a closeable opening adapted to surround the clamping jaws of the hemostat at the end adjacent said clamping jaws, the closeable opening allowing for the free passage of the second of the hemostat arms when the closeable opening is open, the method comprising the steps of:

clamping a structure to be ligated between the clamping jaws of the hemostat so as to temporarily close the structure;

closing the closeable opening in the cartridge so that the closeable opening completely encircles the clamping jaws of the hemostat;

moving the closeable opening along the jaws of the hemostat, past the respective ends thereof, and about the temporarily closed structure; and

ejecting a surgical staple from the cartridge and clinching the same about the structure clamped between the jaws of the hemostat so as to permanently close the structure with a surgical staple.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the cartridge is pivotally moved with respect to the hemostat.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the cartridge is linearly moved with respecT to the hemostat so that the longitudinal axis of the cartridge remains parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hemostat arms.

4. The method recited in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

blocking the ejection and clinching of the surgical staple if the staple is out of position in the cartridge or if the cartridge is devoid of staples.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein said blocking means comprises a spring member biased toward the plane of the ejecting and clinching means and adapted to be biased out of said plane by a surgical staple.