Circular anastomosis device

• US 5,799,857 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Robertson, John Charles, Viola, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHLEY, BOYER DOLINGER
• Application Number:
  US08/585,828
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/179.1, 227/175.1, 227/175.2, 227/175.3, 227/176.1, 227/181.1
• US Class Current: 227/179.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1114 of the digestive tract, e.g. bowels or oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples

Abstract

A surgical instrument is disclosed which includes a housing having proximal and distal end portions, a shaft extending from the housing distal end portion, the shaft having proximal and distal end portions, a fastener carrying cartridge positioned at the shaft distal end portion, the cartridge having a plurality of fasteners disposed therein, a fastener firing member operatively associated with the fastener carrying cartridge, at least one lever extending from the housing, the lever being adapted to move the fastener firing member to expel the fasteners from the cartridge, an anvil member disposed opposite the cartridge, an elongated member operatively associated with the anvil member for moving the anvil member relative to the cartridge, and a locking element disposed within the housing for locking the elongated member, and, therefore the anvil member, the locking element being movable between at least a first position and a second position such that when the locking element is in the first position the elongated member is movable and when the locking element is in the second position the elongated member is prevented from moving.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for applying at least one circular array of fasteners, comprising:

a housing having proximal and distal end portions;

a shaft extending from said housing distal end portion, said shaft having proximal and distal end portions;

a fastener carrying cartridge positioned at said shaft distal end portion, said cartridge having a plurality of fasteners disposed therein;

a fastener firing member operatively associated with said fastener carrying cartridge;

at least one lever extending from said housing, said lever being adapted to move said fastener firing member to expel said fasteners from said cartridge;

an anvil, including an anvil shaft, disposed opposite said cartridge;

an elongated member operatively associated with said anvil for moving said anvil relative to said cartridge; and

a lockout member operatively associated with said elongated member and said fastener firing member and movable between at least a first position and a second position such that when said lockout member is in said first position said lockout member permits operative movement of said elongated member and said anvil and prevents said fastener firing member from firing said plurality of fasteners and when said lockout member is in said second position said lockout member prevents operative movement of said elongated member and permits movement of said fastener firing member sufficient to fire said plurality of fasteners.

2. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, further comprising a safety member operatively associated with said at least one lever member operatively associated with said at least one lever and movable between at least a first position and a second position such that when said safety member is in said first position said at least one lever is operatively movable and when said safety member is in said second position said at least one lever is prevented from operatively moving.

3. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 2, wherein said safety member is operatively associated with said lockout member.

4. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft is tubular.

5. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft is curved.

6. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said fasteners are surgical staples.

7. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said lockout member is biased to remain initially in said first position.

8. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said elongated member includes a pair of extended portions at a distal end thereof, said pair of extended portions adapted for retaining said shaft of said anvil assembly.

9. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said pair of extended portions are arcuately shaped.

10. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said pair of extending portions include releasable retaining means disposed thereon for releasably retaining said anvil assembly.

11. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said pair of extended portions include at least one resilient prong adapted to retain said anvil assembly.

12. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of said elongated member is U-shaped, having at least two side wall portions connected by a web portion.

13. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least two side wall portions are parallel.

14. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 12, wherein said elongated member includes at least two finger portions extending from a distal end thereof, said finger portions adapted to retain said anvil assembly.

15. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 14, wherein said at least two finger portions are flexible.

16. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 15, wherein said at least two finger portions are of a predetermined unequal length such that upon curving said at least two finger portions a predetermined amount of curvature end portions of said at least two finger portions become aligned with each other.

17. A surgical instrument for applying at least one circular array of fasteners, comprising:

a body portion;

a fastener head portion connected to said body portion and including a plurality of fasteners;

an elongated member longitudinally disposed within said body portion;

at least one movable lever member operatively associated with said body portion to fire said fasteners;

an anvil assembly, including an anvil head portion and an anvil shaft portion operatively associated with said elongated member such that movement of said elongated member from a first position to a second position imparts movement of said anvil assembly relative to said fastener head portion, said anvil head portion adapted to form said plurality of fasteners; and

a lockout member movable between at least a first position and a second position wherein when said lockout member is disposed in said first position said elongated member is permitted to move longitudinally within said body portion and when said lockout member is disposed in said second position said elongated member is held in a fixed position and said anvil head portion is held at a predetermined fixed longitudinal distance from said fastener head portion.

18. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17, wherein said lockout member is pivotably disposed within said body portion.

19. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17, wherein said lockout member is biased to remain initially in said first position.

20. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17, wherein said elongated member includes a pair of extended portions at a distal end thereof, said pair of extended portions adapted for retaining a shaft of said anvil assembly.

21. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 20, wherein said pair of extended portions are arcuately shaped.

22. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 20, wherein said pair of extended portions include releasable retaining means disposed thereon for releasably retaining said anvil assembly.

23. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 20, wherein said pair of extended portions include at least one resilient prong adapted to retain said anvil assembly.

24. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17, wherein said elongated member is at least partially U-shaped having at least two side wall portions connected by a web portion.

25. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 24, wherein said at least two side wall portions are parallel.

26. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17, wherein said elongated member includes at least two finger portions extending from a distal end thereof, said finger portions adapted to retain said anvil assembly.

27. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 26, wherein said at least two finger portions are arcuately shaped.

28. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 17 further comprising a fastener firing member operatively associated with said fastener head portion and said at least one lever member, said fastener firing member being adapted to eject said fasteners from said fastener firing member.

29. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 28, wherein said fastener firing member is at least partially U-shaped having at least two side wall portions connected by a web portion.

30. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 29, wherein said at least two side wall portions are parallel.

31. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 28, wherein said fastener firing member is held in a fixed position when said locking member is in said first position.

32. A surgical instrument for applying at least one circular array of fasteners, comprising:

a body portion including a proximal end and a distal end, the body portion having a handle section at the proximal end and an elongated housing section extending from the distal end;

a fastener head portion connected to said body portion and including a plurality of fasteners;

at least one movable lever member associated with said handle section and operatively connected to said fastener head portion;

an elongated U-shaped member forming an open sided channel section along a portion thereof, the elongated U-shaped member extending from said handle section and at least partially through said elongated housing section and having at least two finger portions extending from a distal end thereof, said U-shaped member being movable between a first position and a second position;

an anvil member attached to said at least two finger portions of said elongated U-shaped member, said anvil member being adapted for forming said plurality of fasteners.

33. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 32, wherein said anvil member is removably attached to said at least two finger portions.

34. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least two finger portions have an arcuate cross section shape.

35. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 32, further comprising locking means operatively associated with said U-shaped member and movable between at least a first position wherein said U-shaped member is operatively movable and a second position wherein said U-shaped member is prevented from being operatively movable.

36. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 35, wherein said locking means is further operatively associated with said at least one movable lever member such that when said locking means is in said first position, said U-shaped member is movable and said plurality of fasteners is prevented from being expelled from said fastener head portion and when said locking means is in said second position, said U-shaped member is locked and said plurality of fasteners are expellable from said fastener head portion.

37. A surgical instrument as recited in claim 36, wherein said locking means is biased to remain initially in said first position.

38. A surgical instrument for applying at least one circular array of fasteners, comprising:

a body portion including a handle section at a proximal end thereof;

a fastener head portion connected to said body portion, said fastener head portion configured and dimensioned to apply at least one circular array of fasteners;

at least one movable lever member operatively associated with said handle section;

an elongated U-shaped compression member having a major and minor axis forming a channel section having a laterally directed open side along the major axis, the compression member being operatively connected at a proximal end to said at least one movable lever member, the compression member being further operatively connected at a distal end to said fastener head portion; and

an elongated U-shaped tension member which extends from said handle section to a distal portion of said body portion and is slidably disposed adjacent said compression member.

39. A surgical instrument for applying at least one circular array of fasteners, comprising:

a body portion;

a fastener head portion connected to said body portion and including a plurality of fasteners;

an elongate member disposed within said body portion;

an actuator operatively associated with said body portion to fire said plurality of fasteners;

an anvil, including a head portion and a shaft portion, said anvil being operatively connected to said elongate member such that movement of said elongated member from a first position to a second position imparts movement of said anvil relative to said fastener head portion; and

a lockout member operatively associated with said anvil and movable between at least a first position and a second position, wherein when said lockout member is disposed in said first position said elongate member is permitted to move longitudinally within said body portion and when said lockout member is disposed in said second position said elongate member is restricted from operative longitudinal movement within said body portion.