Surgical instruments
First Claim
1. In a surgical stapling instrument having first and second cooperating frames each provided with an elongate jaw, one of said jaws being adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, an elongate pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to said jaws for sequentially ejecting staples from said one of said jaws and shaping the staples against anvil means provided on the other of said jaws to form a pair of laterally spaced staple rows in tissue gripped between said jaws and for cutting the tissue along a line between said staple rows, said assembly including a pair of laterally spaced pusher bars each having a foward end portion including a pusher bar cam and a knife carrier having a knife blade located between said pusher bars, the improvement comprising jaw support means carried by said pusher bar and knife assembly and cooperating with said jaws for locally supporting both of said jaws in the region of said pusher bar cams as said cams move along said jaws for resisting forces tending to deflect said jaws during ejection and shaping of the individual staples.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapling instrument has upper and lower elongate jaws for receiving a staple cartridge and an anvil respectively. A pusher bar and knife assembly including a pair of pusher bars and a central knife carrier moves longitudinally relative to the jaws to eject staples sequentially from the magazine and to form laterally spaced staple rows in tissue gripped between the jaws while the knife cuts the tissue along a line between the staple rows. The instrument includes structure for locally supporting the jaws in the region of the pusher bar cams and knife blade as these elements move along the jaws to resist forces created during staple ejection and shaping which tend to vertically separate and/or laterally distort the jaws.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. In a surgical stapling instrument having first and second cooperating frames each provided with an elongate jaw, one of said jaws being adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, an elongate pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to said jaws for sequentially ejecting staples from said one of said jaws and shaping the staples against anvil means provided on the other of said jaws to form a pair of laterally spaced staple rows in tissue gripped between said jaws and for cutting the tissue along a line between said staple rows, said assembly including a pair of laterally spaced pusher bars each having a foward end portion including a pusher bar cam and a knife carrier having a knife blade located between said pusher bars, the improvement comprising jaw support means carried by said pusher bar and knife assembly and cooperating with said jaws for locally supporting both of said jaws in the region of said pusher bar cams as said cams move along said jaws for resisting forces tending to deflect said jaws during ejection and shaping of the individual staples.
- 16. A surgical instrument for use in fastening living tissue comprising upper and lower cooperating elongated jaws movable between open and closed positions, whereby tissue to be fastened may be gripped between said jaws when said jaws are in the closed position, means associated with one of said jaws for mounting a tissue fastening means, a pusher means movable longitudinally relative to said jaws when said jaws are in said closed position for forcibly expelling said fastening means from said one jaw and causing said fastening means to penetrate tissue gripped between said jaws, and jaw support means carried by said pusher means, said jaw support means cooperating with said jaws during movement of said pusher means along said jaws for resisting forces tending to separate said jaws during expulsion of said fastening means.
Specification