Fast closure device for linear surgical stapling instrument
First Claim
1. A surgical stapler comprising a shaft containing firing means and with a cartridge of staples and an anvil surface for forming said staples, and a fast closure mechanism to bring said cartridge into proximal contact with said anvil surface to fire said staples using said firing means, wherein said fast closure mechanism is a slider-crank four bar linkage;
- andwherein said slider is a block attached to said cartridge constrained in the shaft of said stapler such that said block with said cartridge attached may move linearly toward or away from said anvil; and
wherein said crank portion of said four-bar linkage has a crank pivotable about said shaft and a connecting arm, and is attached to said slider block by means of a pin held within said slider block; and
wherein said connecting arm contains a cam mechanism cooperating with a link containing a camming surface, said link operating a placement pin moving parallel to said slider block said placement pin movable relative to said cartridge to become emplaced in said anvil.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fast closure mechanism for a linear surgical stapling device as described. This comprises a double four-bar linkage which operates to both place a retaining pin into an anvil and properly and quickly approximate the staple cartridge to the anvil. Thereafter, a gap-setting screw is used so that the proper gap is set between the anvil and the cartridge. Firing is accomplished only after the gap is properly set and within the appropriate gap described pre-determined for the instrument. After firing, opening of the stapler may be accomplished with a similar fast opening motion.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A surgical stapler comprising a shaft containing firing means and with a cartridge of staples and an anvil surface for forming said staples, and a fast closure mechanism to bring said cartridge into proximal contact with said anvil surface to fire said staples using said firing means, wherein said fast closure mechanism is a slider-crank four bar linkage;
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wherein said slider is a block attached to said cartridge constrained in the shaft of said stapler such that said block with said cartridge attached may move linearly toward or away from said anvil; and wherein said crank portion of said four-bar linkage has a crank pivotable about said shaft and a connecting arm, and is attached to said slider block by means of a pin held within said slider block; and wherein said connecting arm contains a cam mechanism cooperating with a link containing a camming surface, said link operating a placement pin moving parallel to said slider block said placement pin movable relative to said cartridge to become emplaced in said anvil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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- 9. A surgical stapler comprising a shaft having a longitudinal axis, firing means, a cartridge of staples, an anvil surface for forming said staples, and a placement pin for enclosing tissue between said anvil and said cartridge, said placement pin movable relative to said cartridge, wherein said placement pin and said cartridge move parallel to each other along said shaft longitudinal axis, and said parallel motion of said cartridge and placement pin are controlled by a pair of separate but cooperating four-bar linkages.
Specification