Method for placing staples in laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures

• US 5,554,169 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 09/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Alesi, Daniel E., Bolanos, Henry, Ratcliff, Keith, Green, David T., Sherts, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/469,938
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 606/219, 606/142, 606/143, 227/19, 227/175-180
• US Class Current: 606/219
• 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 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads

Abstract

A surgical stapler for placing lateral lines of staples and making an incision, all through an endoscopic tube, includes an anvil member which is mounted to the distal end of an elongated housing. A tubular collar disposed around the arm of the anvil member is movable to a distal position to bias the anvil member and a cartridge assembly into cooperative alignment, thereby clamping body tissue to be fastened between the anvil member and cartridge assembly.

Claims

1. A method of endoscopically driving fasteners into body tissue comprising the steps of:

providing an endoscopic opening into a body for accessing tissue to be fastened;

providing a surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue including;

a frame which includes first and second actuating handles, each actuating handle pivotally mounted with respect to a pivot pin and movable between a first and second position;

an endoscopic portion defining a longitudinal axis and extending distally from said frame, said endoscopic portion including;

i) an elongated support for receiving a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly having a distal end and a proximal end and including a plurality of surgical fasteners slidably mounted therein, and having a tissue engaging surface;

ii) a jaw member having a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end of said jaw member being pivotally retained in said elongated support such that the jaw member is movable between an open position and a closed position in close cooperative alignment with the tissue engaging surface of the cartridge assembly and said distal end of said jaw member is in juxtaposed alignment with said distal end of said cartridge assembly;

iii) a closure member for moving the jaw member between the open position and the closed position comprising a collar operatively associated with at least a portion of said support and said jaw member, said collar having a camming edge and being movable between a first position in which said camming edge is located proximally to the proximal end of said jaw member, and a second position in which said camming edge is located distally to the proximal end of said jaw member, said collar cooperating with said jaw member such that when said collar is moved from said first position to said second position, said jaw member is urged to said closed position;

iv) pusher elements for ejecting the surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly through tissue; and

v) an elongated member operatively associated with said second actuating member which translates with respect to said endoscopic portion independent of said closure member for actuating said pusher elements; and

vi) linkage operatively associated with said first actuating handle for moving said collar between said first position and said second position;

pivoting said first actuating handle from said first to said second position, thereby translating the closure member to the second position to approximate said jaw member towards said cartridge assembly prior to inserting said jaw member and cartridge assembly into said endoscopic opening;

inserting said approximated jaw member and cartridge assembly of said surgical apparatus into said endoscopic opening;

pivoting said first actuating handle from said second position to said first position, thereby translating the closure member from the second position to the first position to open said approximated jaw member and said cartridge assembly to define a tissue receiving space therebetween;

positioning body tissue into which said fasteners are to be driven such that said body tissue enters said tissue receiving space between said jaw member and said cartridge assembly in a direction extending from a distal to a proximal end of said jaw member and said cartridge assembly;

pivoting said first actuating handle from said first position to said second position, thereby translating the closure member back to the second position to cause said jaw member to move said jaw member from said open position to said closed position; and

pivoting said second actuating handle from said first position to said second position, thereby translating said elongated member independent of the closure member and actuating said pusher elements for ejecting said surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly to drive said surgical fasteners into said body tissue.

2. The method of endoscopically driving fasteners into body tissue of claim 1, wherein the step of providing an endoscopic opening further comprises:

providing an endoscopic tube for insertion into a body to access body tissue to be fastened and inserting said endoscopic tube into said body to access tissue to be fastened.