Surgical stapling instrument with jaw latching mechanism and disposable staple cartridge
First Claim
1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
- first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including staple carrying means adapted to receive a plurality of staples arranged in at least one row, and said other jaw member including anvil means adapted to form said staples,pusher means for driving the staples from said staple carrying means into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil means to produce at least one row of staples in the tissue,means for latching said jaw members together with the tissue located between said staple carrying means and said anvil means,jaw clamping means for applying clamping forces to said jaw members to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together during the formation of said staples, andmeans for retaining said latching means in a partially latched position with said jaw members loosely connected together to permit said jaw members to be moved apart and said staple carrying means and said anvil means to be adjusted in position on the tissue without disconnecting said jaw members from each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapling instrument suitable for performing a gastrointestinal anastomosis. The stapling instrument includes a pair of elongate jaw members, one of which supports a staple cartridge adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, and the other provided with an anvil adapted to form the staples. A pusher bar and knife blade assembly is slidable longitudinally relative to the jaw members to sequentially drive the staples from the cartridge and form the staples against the anvil to produce a pair of laterally spaced rows of formed staples in tissue gripped between the jaw members and to cut the tissue along a line between the staple rows. A latching mechanism is operable to a partially latched position in which the jaw members are loosely connected together to permit the staple cartridge and anvil to be adjusted in position on the tissue without disconnecting the jaw members from each other. A cam mechanism is provided for urging the jaw members apart at a position remote from the latching mechanism to resist the forces exerted on the staple cartridge and anvil when the pusher bar and knife blade assembly is actuated to staple and cut the tissue gripped between the jaw members. The cam mechanism is initially held in an inoperative position and subsequently held in an operative position when the pusher bar and knife assembly is actuated. Preferably, the staple cartridge is disposable.
2531 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
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first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including staple carrying means adapted to receive a plurality of staples arranged in at least one row, and said other jaw member including anvil means adapted to form said staples, pusher means for driving the staples from said staple carrying means into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil means to produce at least one row of staples in the tissue, means for latching said jaw members together with the tissue located between said staple carrying means and said anvil means, jaw clamping means for applying clamping forces to said jaw members to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together during the formation of said staples, and means for retaining said latching means in a partially latched position with said jaw members loosely connected together to permit said jaw members to be moved apart and said staple carrying means and said anvil means to be adjusted in position on the tissue without disconnecting said jaw members from each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
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first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including staple carrying means adapted to receive a plurality of staples arranged in at least one row, and said other jaw member including anvil means adapted to form said staples, pusher means for driving the staples from said staple carrying means into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil means to produce at least one row of staples in the tissue, means for latching said jaw members together at a position adjacent to said staple carrying means and said anvil means, said latching means being operable from an unlatched position which permits said jaw members to be completely disconnected from each other to a latched position which locks said jaw members together with said staple carrying means and said anvil means in alignment, and means for retaining said latching means in a partially latched position with said jaw members loosely connected together to permit said jaw members to be moved apart and said staple carrying means and said anvil means to be adjusted in position on the tissue without disconnecting said jaw members from each other. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
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first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including a staple cartridge mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, and said other jaw member including an anvil mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to form said staples, a pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to said elongate jaw members, said assembly including pusher means for driving the staples from said staple cartridge into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil to produce a pair of laterally spaced staple rows in the tissue, and knife means for cutting the tissue gripped between said jaw members along a line between said staple rows, means for latching said jaw members together at an intermediate position therealong adjacent to said staple cartridge and said anvil with the tissue located therebetween, and means for retaining said latching means in a partially latched position with said jaw members loosely connected together to permit said front portions of said jaw members to be separated and said staple cartridge and said anvil to be adjusted in position on the tissue without disconnecting said jaw members from each other. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A surgical stapling instrument including:
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a first elongate jaw member adapted to support a staple cartridge, a second elongate jaw member having an anvil adapted to form staples ejected from said staple cartridge, a stationary guide block mounted on said first jaw member, and one or more pusher bars slidably mounted on said first jaw member and slidably supported by said guide block, said pusher bars adapted to eject the staples sequentially from said staple cartridge, said staple cartridge comprising an elongated body including one or more longitudinal slots for slidably receiving said pusher bars and a plurality of staple drivers engageable by said pusher bars in said slots for ejecting the staples from the cartridge and forming the staples against said anvil, means for releasably fastening said body of said staple cartridge to said first jaw member to permit said staple cartridge to be replaced and allow the stapling instrument to be reused with another staple cartridge, and flange means extending longitudinally from said body of said staple cartridge and cooperable with said guide block for receiving said pusher bars therebetween and aligning said pusher bars with said longitudinal slots in said staple cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification