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Surgical stapler

  • US 5,074,454 A
  • Filed: 06/04/1990
  • Issued: 12/24/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said forward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue in response to movement of a firing means actuator, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentation shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

  • tensioning means for flexing and prestressing said beam members prior to operation of said firing means to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent spreading of said front ends thereof by the load forces exerted on said beam members, andmeans for selectively actuating said tensioning means prior to and independently of movement of said firing means actuator.

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