Ligating and dividing organic structures
First Claim
1. A cartridge adapted to be powered by a surgical instrument, said cartridge being capable of confining an organic structure in a closed area within the cartridge, ligating said structure with a pair of spaced apart surgical staples, and severing said structure intermediate said surgical staples, the cartridge comprising:
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
anvil means defined at the forward end of said rail assembly;
an elongate main body mounted on said rail assembly for movement longitudinally relative to said rail assembly;
a pair of belts mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body, each belt defining an index plane;
a plurality of surgical staples carried by said belts in said index plane;
a pair of pushers each having a forward end mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body, each pusher mounted adjacent a respective belt of said pair of belts, each pusher defining a pusher plane, said pushers having a projection at each of their forward ends adapted to extend into the index plane of a respective adjacent belt for advancing said belts and said staples carried thereon toward said anvil means;
ramp means associated with said main body and said belts for singly transferring said staples from the index planes and into the pusher planes in response to the movement of said pushers toward said anvil means;
a knife mounted in said main body for longitudinal movement relative to said main body; and
shifter means associated with said knife and said main body for causing said main body to move forward into abutting relationship with said anvil means, wherein a closed area defined by said anvil means and said main body when said knife is initially moved toward said anvil means is capable of confining an organic structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cartridge is provided for ligating and dividing organic structures such as blood vessels or a band of tissue containing a plurality of blood vessesls, nerves or the like. The cartridge operates in three stages and is adapted to associate with an instrument which provides power to the cartridge. After the structure is inserted between the jaws of the cartridge, the cartridge jaws close, a pair of pushers moves forward and ligates the structure at two spaced apart locations with a pair of surgical staples, and a knife then comes forward and divides the ligated structure at a position intermediate the pair of staples. The staple feeding arrangement comprises a pair of belts advanced by the pushers, the belts each carrying a plurality of staples. The staples are transferred from the plane of the belts to the plane of the pushers by ramp surfaces. The belts are kept from backing up during the return stroke of the pushers by a pair of detents associated with the belts. The knife is associated with the main body of the cartridge by means of a novel shifter mechanism in such a manner that the initial movement of the knife causes the jaws of the cartridge to close. A mechanism is provided to prevent the knife from severing the ligated structure in the event, for example, that all of the staples have been expelled from the cartridge. Finally, a cartridge lock mechanism maintains the operative elements of the cartridge in proper position until the cartridge is mounted on the instrument.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A cartridge adapted to be powered by a surgical instrument, said cartridge being capable of confining an organic structure in a closed area within the cartridge, ligating said structure with a pair of spaced apart surgical staples, and severing said structure intermediate said surgical staples, the cartridge comprising:
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
anvil means defined at the forward end of said rail assembly;
an elongate main body mounted on said rail assembly for movement longitudinally relative to said rail assembly;
a pair of belts mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body, each belt defining an index plane;
a plurality of surgical staples carried by said belts in said index plane;
a pair of pushers each having a forward end mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body, each pusher mounted adjacent a respective belt of said pair of belts, each pusher defining a pusher plane, said pushers having a projection at each of their forward ends adapted to extend into the index plane of a respective adjacent belt for advancing said belts and said staples carried thereon toward said anvil means;
ramp means associated with said main body and said belts for singly transferring said staples from the index planes and into the pusher planes in response to the movement of said pushers toward said anvil means;
a knife mounted in said main body for longitudinal movement relative to said main body; and
shifter means associated with said knife and said main body for causing said main body to move forward into abutting relationship with said anvil means, wherein a closed area defined by said anvil means and said main body when said knife is initially moved toward said anvil means is capable of confining an organic structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
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26. A cartridge adapted to be powered by a surgical instrument, said cartridge being capable of confining an organic structure in a closed area within the cartridge, ligating said structure with a pair of spaced apart surgical staples, and severing said structure intermediate said surgical staples, the cartridge comprising:
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
anvil means defined at the forward end of said rail assembly;
an elongate main body mounted on said rail assembly for movement longitudinally relative to said rail assembly;
staple feeding means defining a pair of index planes mounted in said main body for movement with said main body;
a plurality of surgical staples fed by said staple feeding means;
a pair of pushers, each defining a pusher plane, mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body adjacent said respective staple feeding means for singly transferring said staples from the index planes defined by said staple feeding means and into the pusher planes of said pushers;
a knife mounted in said main body for longitudinal movement relative to said main body; and
shifter means associated with said knife and said main body for causing said main body to move forward into abutting relationship with said anvil means, wherein a closed area defined by said anvil means and said main body when said knife is initially moved toward said anvil means is capable of confining an organic structure.
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
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27. A cartridge adapted to be powered by a surgical instrument, said cartridge being capable of confining an organic structure in a closed area within the cartridge, ligating said structure with a pair of spaced apart surgical staples, and severing said structure intermediate said surgical staples, the cartridge comprising:
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
anvil means defined at the forward end of said rail assembly;
an elongate main body mounted on said rail assembly for movement longitudinally relative to said rail assembly;
a pair of belts, each defining an index plane, mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body;
a plurality of surgical staples carried by said belts;
a pair of pushers, each defining a pusher plane, mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body adjacent said respective belts, said pushers having a projection at each of their forward ends adapted to extend into the index plane defined by a respective belt for advancing said belts and said staples carried thereon toward said anvil means;
ramp means associated with said main body and said belts for singly transferring said staples from the index planes defined by said belts and into the pusher planes of said pushers in response to the movement of said pushers toward said anvil means; and
a knife mounted in said main body for longitudinal movement relative to said main body.
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
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28. A cartridge adapted to be powered by a surgical instrument, said cartridge being capable of confining an organic structure in a closed area within the cartridge and ligating said structure with a surgical staple, the cartridge comprising:
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
anvil means defined at the forward end of said rail assembly;
an elongate main body mounted on said rail assembly for movement longitudinally relative to said rail assembly;
a belt mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body, said belt defining an index plane;
a plurality of surgical staples carried by said belt in said index plane;
a pusher, defining a pusher plane, mounted in said main body for movement longitudinally relative to said main body adjacent said belt, said pusher having a projection at its forward end adapted to extend into the index plane defined by said belt for advancing said belt and said staples carried thereon toward said anvil means; and
ramp means associated with said main body and said belt for singly transferring said staples from the index plane defined by said belt and into the pusher plane of said pusher in response to the movement of said pusher toward said anvil means.
- a rail assembly adapted to be removably mounted to an instrument, said rail assembly having a forward end;
Specification