Surgical stapler and staple cartridge

• US 5,415,334 A
• Filed: 05/05/1993
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Williamson, IV: Warren P., Huitema, Thomas W., Chambers, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Application Number:
  US08/058,325
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/175, 227/176, 227/177, 227/178, 227/180
• US Class Current: 227/178.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder

Abstract

A surgical stapler comprising at least one cam having a cam surface, an arrangement for actuating the cam for a longitudinal firing movement of the cam surface, a cartridge having a plurality of staple drive members driven by the longitudinal movement of the cam surface, and a plurality of surgical staples respectively associated with the staple drive members for being fired by the longitudinal movement of the cam surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, the staple drive members include at least a pair of alternating first and second staple drive members, the first staple drive member including a laterally spaced pair of staple driving surfaces, the second staple drive member including a single staple driving surface. The first and second staple drive members are disposed such that the staple driving surfaces thereof are arranged in laterally spaced three rows. Alternate embodiments include drive members each having a pair of longitudinally aligned driving surfaces, and a third laterally offset driving surface, as well as a spine-like flexible drive element operatively positioned between the cam surface of the cam and the drive members.

Claims

1. A surgical stapler comprising:

cam means having at least two cam surfaces;

means for actuating said cam means for longitudinal firing movements of said cam surfaces;

a staple cartridge having a plurality of staple drive members driven by the longitudinal movements of said cam surfaces; and

a plurality of surgical staples in said cartridge respectively associated with said drive members for being fired by the longitudinal movements of said cam surfaces,

said staple drive members including single staple drive members and double staple drive members, said double staple drive members each having a first staple driving surface associated with a respective surgical staple, and a second staple driving surface associated with a respective surgical staple, said second staple driving surface being laterally spaced and longitudinally displaced from said first staple driving surface, said single staple drive members each having a single staple driving surface associated with said surgical staple, said single drive members being mounted for independent movement with respect to said double staple drive members,

said single and double staple drive members being arranged in said longitudinal direction, so that said first and second staple driving surfaces of the double staple drive members and said single staple driving surfaces of the single staple drive members are arranged in three laterally spaced rows, and the longitudinal movement of each of said two cam surfaces respectively sequentially and independently drive said single and double staple drive members.

2. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein

said single staple drive members are longitudinally arranged in a row.

3. The surgical stapler of claim 2, wherein

said double staple drive members are longitudinally arranged in a row.

4. The surgical stapler of claim 2, wherein

said single staple driving surfaces of the single staple drive members are laterally aligned with a corresponding one of said first and second staple driving surfaces of the double staple drive members.

5. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein

said cam means comprise a longitudinally staggered, parallel pair of pusher bars.

10. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein

said connecting portion of the double staple drive member and said body portion of the single staple drive member have substantially the same length.

6. A cartridge for a surgical stapler wherein said stapler includes cam means having at least one cam surface, and further includes means for actuating said cam means for longitudinal firing movement of said cam surface, said cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body;

a plurality of staple drive members in said cartridge body driven by the longitudinal movement of said cam surface; and

a plurality of surgical staples in said cartridge body respectively associated with said drive members for being fired by the longitudinal movement of said cam surface,

said staple drive members including single staple drive members and double staple drive members, said double staple drive members each having a first staple driving surface associated with said surgical staple, and a second staple driving surface associated with said surgical staple, said second staple driving surface being laterally spaced and longitudinally displaced from said first staple driving surface,

said single staple drive members each having a single staple driving surface associated with said surgical staple, said single staple drive members each including a body portion for engagement with said cam means offset laterally from said single staple driving surface, said single drive members being mounted for sequential and independent movement with respect to said double staple drive members by the longitudinal movement of said cam surface,

said single and double staple drive members being arranged in said longitudinal direction, so that said first and second staple driving surfaces of the double staple drive members and said single staple driving surfaces of the single staple drive members are longitudinally arranged in three laterally spaced rows.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein

said single and double staple drive members are longitudinally arranged in a row, respectively.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein

said single staple driving surfaces of the single staple drive members are laterally aligned with a corresponding one of said first and second staple driving surfaces of the double staple drive members.

9. The cartridge of claim 8, wherein

each of said double staple drive members further includes a connecting portion extending longitudinally to space said first and second staple driving surfaces from each other, said connecting portions being laterally aligned with respective body portions of said single staple drive members.

11. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein

said cartridge body includes a plurality of uprights respectively positioned along at least some of said staple drive members for guiding and confining leg portions of said staples.