Endoscopic multi-fire flat stapler with low profile

• US 5,376,095 A
• Filed: 11/04/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/148,036
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 606/219, 606/220, 606/143, 227/175, 227/176, 227/177, 227/19, 227/180, 227/175, 227/176, 227/179, 227/181
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2933 camming or guiding means

Abstract

A multi-fire endoscopic stapler is disclosed. The stapler has a retractable cartridge where the cartridge is retractable from a staple-forming position in which the distal-most staple in the cartridge is aligned with a driver blade on a staple driver for forming the staple against an anvil. An elongated shaft communicates with the anvil and driver, and means exist for forming the staple from the proximal end of the shaft, and for sequentially advancing each staple in the cartridge to the distal end of the cartridge. The retractable nature of the cartridge creates the ability to provide the stapler with a flat, low-profile, by eliminating the conventional stacked configuration of the anvil, driver, and staple cartridge. The stapler may be inserted through a small diameter opening frequently found during minimally invasive endoscopic surgical procedures, and then manipulated to sequentially form numerous staples against the anvil, one staple at a time, until the desired number of staples are fired.

Claims

1. A multi-fire endoscopic stapler comprising:

a) a staple-forming anvil;

b) a staple driver pivotally attached to said anvil for pivotal movement from an open position to a closed position, said driver having a driver blade thereon for sequentially forming a plurality of staples against said anvil;

c) an elongated shaft in alignment with said anvil and driver;

d) means in alignment with said driver for forming said staple from the proximal end of said shaft;

e) a cartridge containing said staples disposed between said anvil and driver, said cartridge retractable in relation to said anvil and driver from a staple-forming position wherein a distal-most staple in said cartridge is aligned with said driver blade for forming said distal-most staple against said anvil; and

f) means interposed between said anvil and said driver for sequentially advancing said staples to the distal end of said cartridge.

2. The stapler of claim 1 wherein said staples are sequentially formed transverse to the longitudinal axis of said anvil.

3. The stapler of claim 2 wherein said cartridge is retractable in relation to said anvil and driver from said staple-forming position to a retracted position wherein said cartridge is seated proximally of said driver blade when said driver is in said closed position.

4. The stapler of claim 3 wherein said driver blade of said driver is adjacent to said anvil, and said anvil and driver are substantially parallel to each other, when said cartridge is in said retracted position and said driver is in said closed position.

5. The stapler of claim 4 wherein said stapler further comprises means movable within said shaft for retracting said cartridge from said staple-forming position to said retracted position from the proximal end of said shaft.

6. The stapler of claim 5 wherein said stapler further comprises means movable within said shaft for pivoting said driver from said open position to said closed position from the proximal end of said shaft.