Surgical stapler apparatus
First Claim
1. A surgical fastener cartridge for use with an actuator assembly including a rigid frame having a U-shaped portion for simultaneously forming a plurality of surgical fasteners in body tissue comprisingan anvil assembly;
- a fastener holder pivotally connected to the anvil assembly adjacent one end of the anvil assembly, the fastener holder containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and including fastener driving means for substantially simultaneously driving all of the fasteners from the fastener holder;
means associated with the anvil assembly for allowing the cartridge to be removably mounted on the actuator frame so that the anvil assembly is adjacent a first leg of the U-shaped portion, so that the pivotal connection between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder is adjacent the base of the U-shaped portion, and so that the fastener holder is adjacent a second leg of the U-shaped portion, the fastener holder being movable relative to the frame when the cartridge is thus mounted on the frame so that when the fastener holder is pivoted away from the anvil assembly, the tissue to be fastened can be positioned between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder via the open side of the U-shaped portion;
spacer means located adjacent the side of the cartridge opposite the pivotal connection between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder for maintaining a predetermined minimum spacing between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder when the fastener holder is pivoted toward the anvil assembly;
the improvement comprising means associated with the spacer means for displacing tissue which extends beyond the ends of the fastener holder and anvil assembly to ensure that the fastener holder and anvil assembly are positioned correctly relative to each other after the fastener holder is pivoted toward the anvil assembly, said tissue displacing means comprising two surfaces sloping toward each other to form a knife-like edge to displace the tissue.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Surgical stapler apparatus for forming an array of surgical fasteners in body tissue includes an anvil assembly against which the fasteners are formed and a fastener holder pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the anvil assembly, a spacer member at the other end so constructed to displace tissue that would otherwise obstruct the spacer member from properly positioning the fastener holder relative to the anvil assembly to ensure proper fastener formation, and a knife assembly to cut the tissue between the rows of formed fasteners.
1435 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A surgical fastener cartridge for use with an actuator assembly including a rigid frame having a U-shaped portion for simultaneously forming a plurality of surgical fasteners in body tissue comprising
an anvil assembly; -
a fastener holder pivotally connected to the anvil assembly adjacent one end of the anvil assembly, the fastener holder containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and including fastener driving means for substantially simultaneously driving all of the fasteners from the fastener holder; means associated with the anvil assembly for allowing the cartridge to be removably mounted on the actuator frame so that the anvil assembly is adjacent a first leg of the U-shaped portion, so that the pivotal connection between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder is adjacent the base of the U-shaped portion, and so that the fastener holder is adjacent a second leg of the U-shaped portion, the fastener holder being movable relative to the frame when the cartridge is thus mounted on the frame so that when the fastener holder is pivoted away from the anvil assembly, the tissue to be fastened can be positioned between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder via the open side of the U-shaped portion; spacer means located adjacent the side of the cartridge opposite the pivotal connection between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder for maintaining a predetermined minimum spacing between the anvil assembly and the fastener holder when the fastener holder is pivoted toward the anvil assembly; the improvement comprising means associated with the spacer means for displacing tissue which extends beyond the ends of the fastener holder and anvil assembly to ensure that the fastener holder and anvil assembly are positioned correctly relative to each other after the fastener holder is pivoted toward the anvil assembly, said tissue displacing means comprising two surfaces sloping toward each other to form a knife-like edge to displace the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A surgical stapler for simultaneously forming a plurality of surgical fasteners in body tissue comprising
a rigid frame having a U-shaped portion; -
an anvil assembly mounted on a first leg of the U-shaped portion so that the anvil assembly is stationary relative to the frame; a fastener holder disposed adjacent the second leg of the U-shaped portion and being pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the anvil assembly, the pivotal mounting being adjacent the base of the U-shaped portion, the fastener holder containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and including means for simultaneously driving the fasteners from the fastener holder; actuator means mounted on the frame for pivoting the fastener holder toward the anvil assembly and actuating the means for driving the fasteners from the fastener holder; an alignment pin mounted on said holder and having an end for piercing tissue disposed between said anvil assembly and said holder; and a spacer member at a location remote from the pivotal mounting of the fastener holder for contacting a portion of the anvil assembly opposite the fastener holder when the fastener holder is pivoted to span the normally open peripheral portion and for maintaining a gap between the remainder of the fastener holder and the anvil assembly; wherein the spacer member is shaped so that, when tissue extends past the open peripheral portion of the retainer holder and fastener holder, the tissue pierced by said pin is displaced as the fastener holder closes against the anvil assembly to ensure that the proper minimum distance is achieved between the fastener holder and the anvil assembly.
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10. A surgical fastener cartridge comprising
an anvil assembly having an aperture therein; -
a fastener holder pivotally connected at one end to said anvil assembly; an alignment pin mounted on said fastener holder at an opposite end thereof for reception in said aperture of said anvil assembly, said pin having a shaped end for piercing tissue disposed between said anvil assembly and said holder and over said opening of said anvil assembly; and a spacer member mounted on said opposite end of said fastener for abutting said anvil assembly about said opening therein, said spacer member having surfaces shaped to displace the tissue pierced by said pin during pivoting of said holder towards said anvil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. In combination,
an anvil assembly having an aperture therein; -
a fastener holder movably mounted relative to said anvil assembly; an alignment pin mounted on said fastener holder at an opposite end thereof for reception in said aperture of said anvil assembly, said pin having a shaped end for piercing tissue disposed between said anvil assembly and said holder and over said opening of said anvil assembly; and a spacer member mounted on said opposite end of said fastener for abutting said anvil assembly about said opening therein, said spacer member having surfaces shaped to displace the tissue pierced by said pin during movement of said holder and anvil assembly towards each other. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification