Surgical fastener cartridge with improved body tissue cutting knife assembly

• US 4,881,545 A
• Filed: 12/08/1988
• Issued: 11/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Isaacs, Jack L., Zvenyatsky, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/281,552
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334 R, 128/305, 227/19, 227/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 227/178.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07228 Arrangement of the staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 227/901 Surgical clip appliers

Abstract

A surgical fastener cartridge possesses an improved body tissue cutting knife assembly. The knife element of the assembly is held in permanent and irreversible locking engagement with a knife holder which is advantageously formed from a single piece of thermoplastic resin possessing two opposed sides joined through at least one flexible hinge element.

Claims

1. In a surgical fastener cartridge which is adapted for use with an actuator apparatus having a rigid frame and a generally U-shaped protion for receiving the fastener cartridge, the actuator apparatus actuating the fastener cartridge to apply substantially parallel rows of fasteners to the tissue on both sides of a line of incision formed by a body tissue cutting knife assembly included within the fastener cartridge, said fastener cartridge possessing:

(a) a fastener holder containing a quantity of fasteners, the fasteners being driven, upon actuation of the fastener cartridge, through substantially parallel rows of apertures defined upon a fastener ejecting surface of the fastener holder;

(b) an anvil having a surface opposed to the fastener ejecting surface of the fastener holder and, upon actuation of the fastener cartridge, cooperating therewith to apply substantially parallel rows of fasteners to body tissue positioned between thef astener holder and anvil;

(c) means for driving the fasteners through the apertures upon actuation of the fastener cartridge;

(d) a tissue cutting knife assembly including (i) a knife element having an upper non-cutting edge and a lower cutting edge, (ii) a knife holder engaging the upper edge of the knife element and (iii) a knife pusher enclosing the knife holder, the cutting edge of the knife element being recessed within the fastener holder in the non-actuated condition of the fastener cartridge and, upon actuation of the fastener cartridge, extending beyond a slot formed between the rows of apertures; and

,

(e) means for driving the cutting edge of the knife assembly through the slot upon actuation of the fastener cartridge,

the improvement which comprises a knife holder having two opposed sides defining at their lower sections a groove therebetween, the knife element being received into, and held in permanent and irreversible locking engagement with, the groove.

2. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 1 wherein the groove of the knife holder possesses one or more locking elements which provide locking engagement with the upper edge of the knife element.

3. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 2 wherein the groove of the knife holder possess one or more locking elements which cooperate with corresponding key elements formed upon the upper edge of the knife element to provide permanent and irreversible locking engagement therewith.

4. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 3 wherein the knife holder is fabricated from a single piece of thermoplastic having two opposed sides joined through one or more hinge elements capable of at least one full flexure.

5. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 4 wherein the thermoplastic is a polycarbonate.

6. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 2 wherein the knife holder is fabricated from a single piece of thermoplastic having two opposed sides joined through one or more hinge elements capable of at least one full flexure.

7. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 6 wherein the thermoplastic is a polycarbonate.

8. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 1 wherein the knife holder is fabricated from a thermoplastic.

9. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 1 wherein the knife holder is fabricated from a single piece of thermoplastic having two opposed sides joined through one or more hinge elements capable of at least one full flexure.

10. The surgical fastener cartridge of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic is a polycarbonate.