Surgical stapling apparatus

• US 5,337,937 A
• Filed: 04/22/1993
• Issued: 08/16/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Green, David T., Remiszewski, Stanley H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Application Number:
  US08/052,223
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/175, 227/176, 227/177, 227/182, 227/121
• US Class Current: 227/182.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001

Abstract

A surgical stapling apparatus comprising an anvil jaw pivotally connected to a first handle for movement from an open position to a closed position to clamp body tissue, staple advancing means for advancing an individual staple into contact with the anvil jaw for deformation of the staple legs and means for closing the anvil and for actuating the staple advancing means in a three phase movement of the handles. In the first movement of the handle the anvil jaw pivots to a closed position; in a second subsequent movement of the handles the anvil jaw remains stationary and the staple advancing means is not yet actuated; and in a third movement of the handle the staple advancing means is actuated. This second movement constitutes a dwell period of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising:

first and second handles;

an anvil jaw pivotally connected to said first handle for movement from an open position to a closed position to clamp body tissue;

staple advancing means for advancing an individual staple into contact with said anvil jaw for deformation of the staple legs;

means responsive to movement of said first handle for closing the anvil jaw and for driving the staple advancing means in a three phase movement of said first handle wherein in a first movement of said first handle said anvil jaw pivots to a closed position, in a second subsequent movement of said first handle comprising a dwell period in which said anvil jaw remains stationary and said staple advancing means is not yet actuated, and in a third movement of said first handle said staple advancing means is driven to advance a staple through the tissue and into contact with said anvil jaw; and

means for tactilely indicating to a user the termination of said first movement, said indicating means including means for providing said dwell period comprising said second subsequent movement of said first handle.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for closing said anvil jaw and for driving said advancing means includes cam means positioned between said first handle and said staple advancing means, said cam means configured to open and close said anvil jaw and to drive said advancing means in response to movement of said first handle.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said cam means for closing said anvil jaw comprises a camming slot having an angled portion and a vertical portion.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said cam means for driving said staple advancing means comprises a camming slot having a vertical portion and an angled portion.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said angled portion of said camming slot for closing said anvil jaw terminates below said angled portion of said camming slot for said staple advancing means so at least a portion of said vertical portions of said camming slots overlap.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said cam meads comprises a first link member connecting said first handle to said anvil jaw, said first link member including a camming slot cooperating with a pin connected to said first handle.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said camming slot has an angled portion and a vertical portion, wherein said pin first travels in said angled portion to advance said first link member to pivot said anvil jaw to a closed position, and when said pin subsequently travels in said vertical portion, said first link member remains stationary.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a second link member connecting said second handle to said staple advancing means, said second link member including a camming slot cooperating with a pin connected to said second handle.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said camming slot of said second link member has a vertical portion and an angled portion, wherein when said pin connected to said second handle first travels in said vertical portion of said second link, said second link member remains stationary, and when said pin connected to said second handle subsequently travels in said angled portion of said second link, said second link member is advanced distally.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said vertical portions of both said camming slots overlap, and said second movement of said first handle causes said pin to travel in said overlapping vertical portions.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said anvil jaw has a slot cooperating with a slot in said first link member.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, further including spring means coupled to said first link member to bias said first link member to a distal position such that said anvil jaw is biased to an open position.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said first link member includes a second slot cooperating with a slot formed in said anvil jaw to receive a camming pin, said camming pin pivoting said anvil jaw to said closed position upon first movement of said first handle.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said first link member is adapted to advance proximally during said first movement of said first handle.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said cam comprises a link member connecting said second handle to said staple advancing means, said link member including a camming slot cooperating with a pin connected to said second handle.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said camming slot of said second link member has a vertical portion and an angled portion, wherein when said pin first travels in said vertical portion said link member remains stationary, and when said pin subsequently travels in said angled portion said link member is advanced distally.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said second link member is advanced distally during said third movement of said first handle.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a staple cartridge containing a stack of staples, and means for advancing said stack of staples, said staple stack advancing means comprises a first toothed rack engaging a staple stack pusher, said rack movable during said third movement of said first handle.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising a second toothed rack positioned opposite said first toothed rack and engaging said stack pusher.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said second toothed rack remains stationary during movement of said first toothed rack.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said means for actuating said staple advancing means comprises link means for connecting said staple advancing means to said first handle,

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said link means includes a camming slot cooperating with a guide pin connected to said first handle.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein said staple advancing means includes a staple pusher for engagement with a distalmost staple.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a ratchet mechanism for preventing retraction of said staple advancing means until completion of a firing stroke.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein said ratchet mechanism includes a toothed member engageable with a plate.

26. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising:

a first handle;

a staple cartridge communicating with said first handle, said staple cartridge containing a plurality of staples aligned in a row;

a second handle pivotally mounted to said first handle;

an anvil jaw linked to said second handle and movable in response to a first movement of said second handle to clamp tissue;

means responsive to a subsequent movement of said second handle for advancing a staple into Contact with said at least one staple forming depression of said anvil jaw to deform the legs of the staple; and

means for tactilely indicating to a user the termination of said first movement, said indicating means comprising means for providing a dwell position of said staple advancing means between said first and subsequent movements in which said second handle is pivoted and said anvil jaw is not pivoted and said staple advancing means is not actuated.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 26 wherein said first handle further comprises a curved staple guiding surface to orient the staple prior to contact with said anvil jaw.

28. A surgical staple cartridge comprising:

a first rack having a plurality of teeth;

a stack of staples longitudinally aligned in said first rack;

means for advancing said staple stack distally said advancing means comprising a stack pusher positioned proximal to and abutting a proximalmost staple and engaging said teeth of said first rack; and

means for advancing said stack pusher distally, said advancing means including means engaging said teeth of said first rack for preventing proximal movement of said stack pusher.

29. A staple cartridge as recited in claim 28, wherein said stack pusher advancing means comprises a second rack positioned over said first rack and said preventing means comprises a plurality of teeth formed in said second rack and engaging said stack pusher.

30. A cartridge as recited in claim 29, further comprising staple pusher means for advancing a distalmost staple into body tissue, said staple pusher means engaging said second rack to carry it distally to advance said stack pusher only after said staple advancing means has moved a predetermined distance.

31. A cartridge as recited in claim 30, wherein said staple advancing means includes a staple pusher finger for advancing an individual staple.

32. A surgical staple cartridge comprising:

a plurality of staples aligned in a longitudinal row;

a slidable rack having a plurality of teeth formed therein;

a stack pusher engaged within said plurality of teeth of said slidable rack and mounted proximal to anti abutting a proximalmost staple;

means for sliding said slidable rack distally to drive said stack pusher to advance a staple, said sliding means including means engaging with said teeth for preventing proximal movement of said stack pusher.

33. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising:

a staple cartridge containing a plurality of staples aligned in a row;

an anvil jaw having at least one staple forming depression formed thereon disposed opposite said staple cartridge and pivotably mounted for movement between open and closed positions;

a staple pusher for advancing a distal most staple into contact with said anvil jaw;

a stack pusher positioned at a proximal end of said row of staples for advancing the entire row of staples;

means for driving said staple pusher and said stack pusher to advance said staple pusher and to advance said row of staples during a dwell period following partial advancement of said staple pusher but prior to full advancement of said staple pusher; and

means for tactilely indicating to a user the termination of said partial advancement of said staple pusher, said indicating means including means for providing said dwell period comprising a time during which said anvil jaw and said staple cartridge move between a position in which said anvil jaw is in said closed position and said staple pusher is in a partially advanced position.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 33, further comprising a handle linked to said actuating means, wherein pivotal movement of said handle advances said actuating means.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein said handle is further linked to said anvil jaw such that pivotal movement of said handle pivots said anvil jaw.