Surgical stapler and staple cartridge

• US 5,630,541 A
• Filed: 12/21/1994
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• 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, Warren P. IV, Huitema, Thomas W., Chambers, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STELACONE, JAY
• Application Number:
  US08/360,460
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/176.1, 227/178.1, 227/180.1, 227/19
• 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 a cam surface;

means for actuating said cam means for a longitudinal movement of said cam surface;

a staple cartridge including a plurality of staple drive members longitudinally arranged and driven by the longitudinal movement of said cam surface, said staple drive members each having three staple driving surfaces, each said staple driving surface being engageable with a surgical staple, said three staple driving surfaces comprising a front staple driving surface and a rear staple driving surface longitudinally aligned with each other and a center staple driving surface laterally spaced from said front staple driving surface and said rear driving surface; and

at least one longitudinally extending cam contact surface formed in each of said staple drive members, said cam contact surface being laterally spaced from each of said front, rear and center staple driving surfaces, said cam contact surface being positioned laterally between said center staple driving surface and said front and rear staple driving surfaces, and in longitudinal alignment with said center staple driving surface,

longitudinally adjacent ones of said staple drive members being arranged in a laterally-reversed orientation and configured to be complementary to each other so that said front, rear and center staple driving surfaces of said staple drive members are arranged in at least two laterally spaced rows and said cam contact surfaces of said staple drive members are arranged in one or more rows laterally spaced from said rows of staple driving surfaces.

2. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein

said center staple driving surfaces of said adjacent drive members are longitudinally aligned with each other so that said front, rear and center staple driving surfaces of said drive members are arranged in three laterally spaced rows.

3. The surgical stapler of claim 1, wherein

said center staple driving surface of any one of said drive members is longitudinally aligned with said front and rear driving surfaces of an adjacent staple drive member so that said from, rear and center staple driving surfaces of said drive members are arranged in two laterally spaced rows.