Endoscopic stapling device and method
First Claim
1. A method for stapling internal body tissues, comprising the steps of:
- providing a staple having a spring bias tending to force said staple into an opened configuration, said staple having a pair of legs connected to one another by a bight portion and further having means for maintaining said staple in a closed postfiring configuration;
exerting a closure force on said staple to hold said staple in a closed prefiring configuration inside the distal end of a surgical instrument in opposition to said spring bias;
shifting said staple in a distal direction to eject said staple from said surgical instrument;
relaxing said closure force, thereby permitting said staple to open under said spring bias;
inserting distal ends of said legs into the internal body tissues to be stapled; and
closing said staple and maintaining said staple in said closed postfiring configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument comprises an elongate forceps member having a diameter sufficiently small so that the forceps member is slidably insertable into a biopsy channel extending longitudinally through a tubular endoscope member, the forceps member being provided at a distal end with a pair of forceps jaws each formed on an inwardly facing surface with a longitudinally extending groove. A staple having a spring bias construction tending to force the staple into an opened configuration is disposed in a closed prefiring configuration between the jaws and has a pair of legs each disposed in the closed prefiring configuration in a respective one of the grooves in the forceps jaws. The provided with locking elements for locking the staple in a closed postfiring configuration.
1881 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for stapling internal body tissues, comprising the steps of:
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providing a staple having a spring bias tending to force said staple into an opened configuration, said staple having a pair of legs connected to one another by a bight portion and further having means for maintaining said staple in a closed postfiring configuration; exerting a closure force on said staple to hold said staple in a closed prefiring configuration inside the distal end of a surgical instrument in opposition to said spring bias; shifting said staple in a distal direction to eject said staple from said surgical instrument; relaxing said closure force, thereby permitting said staple to open under said spring bias; inserting distal ends of said legs into the internal body tissues to be stapled; and closing said staple and maintaining said staple in said closed postfiring configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for performing a surgical operation on internal body tissues of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a tubular member through an aperture in the patient'"'"'s body; using an endoscopic member to visually located the internal body tissues inside the patient'"'"'s body; upon locating said surgical site, pushing an elongate forceps member in a distal direction through a biopsy channel in said tubular member to eject a staple stored in a closed configuration between jaws of said forceps member inside said channel at a distal end of said tubular member; upon ejection of said staple from said channel, opening said jaws and opening said staple from said closed configuration to an opened configuration; pushing said forceps member further in the distal direction to move the opened staple and said jaws towards said internal body tissues; closing said jaws to grip said internal body tissues and to close said staple in said body tissues; maintaining said staple in a closed postfiring configuration in said internal body tissues; upon closure of said staple, opening said forceps member to release said internal body tissues; upon such opening of said forceps member, retracting said forceps member into said channel; and upon retraction of said forceps member into said channel, withdrawing said tubular endoscope member out of the patient'"'"'s body through said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for performing a surgical operation on internal body tissues of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a tubular member through an aperture in the patient'"'"'s body; using an endoscopic member to visually locate the internal body tissues inside the patient'"'"'s body; upon locating said surgical site, pushing an elongate ejector member in a distal direction through a biopsy channel in said tubular member to eject a staple stored in a closed configuration inside said channel at a distal end of said tubular member; upon ejection of said staple from said channel, opening said staple from said closed configuration to an opened configuration; pushing the opened staple towards said internal body tissues; upon contact of said opened staple with said internal body tissues, closing said staple about a portion of said internal body tissues, and upon closure of said staple, withdrawing said tubular member out of the patient'"'"'s body through said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A surgical instrument utilizable with an endoscope or rigid tubular member for performing an endoscopic or laparoscopic stapling operation, comprising:
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an elongate forceps member having a diameter sufficiently small so that said forceps member is slidably insertable into a biopsy channel extending longitudinally through an outer tubular member, said forceps member being provided at a distal end with a pair of forceps jaws each formed on an inwardly facing surface with a longitudinally extending groove; actuating means for manipulating said jaws between an opened position and a closed position; a first staple having a spring bias tending to force said staple into an opened configuration, said staple being disposed in a closed prefiring configuration between said jaws when said jaws are closed, said staple having legs each disposed in said closed prefiring configuration in a respective one of the grooves, said staple having closure means for maintaining said staple in a closed postfiring configuration upon a closing of said jaws; a plurality of second staples each having a spring bias tending to force the respective second staple into an opened configuration; holder means for holding said second staples so that said second staples are disposed end to end in a closed prefiring configuration and in a substantially linear array having a predetermined position relative to said forceps jaws; and means for advancing said second staples in a distal direction towards said jaws upon a firing of said first staple. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A surgical device utilizable with an endoscope or rigid tubular member for performing an endoscopic or laparoscopic stapling operation, comprising:
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a first staple having a spring bias tending to force said staple into an opened configuration; means for holding said first staple in a closed prefiring configuration at a distal end of an elongate surgical instrument; ejector means for ejecting said first staple from the distal end of said instrument; actuating means operatively connected to said ejector means for actuating same; a plurality of second staples each having a spring bias tending to force the respective second staple into an opened configuration; holder means in said instrument for holding said second staples so that said second staples are disposed end to end in a closed prefiring configuration and in a substantially linear array having a predetermined position relative to said means for holding; and means for advancing said second staples towards the distal end of said instrument upon a firing of said first staple. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A surgical device utilizable with an endoscope or rigid tubular member for performing an endoscopic or laparoscopic stapling operation, comprising:
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a forceps member slidably disposable inside a biopsy channel of an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrument; actuating means operatively connected to said forceps member for manipulating jaws of said forceps member between opened and closed positions; a staple disposed in a closed prefiring configuration between said jaws when said jaws are closed; and locking means for temporarily locking said staple to said jaws at least during an opening motion of said jaws. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification