Anvil for circular stapler

• US 5,860,581 A
• Filed: 11/29/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• 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:
  US08/758,104
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/178.1, 227/179.1, 227/180.1, 227/19
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible

Abstract

An anvil assembly for use with a circular surgical stapler is disclosed. The anvil assembly includes an anvil body, an anvil disposed around the anvil body and engaged therewith, and a tether line having a first end connected to the anvil body and a second end connected to the anvil. The anvil assembly is configured so that upon completion of the stapling operation, the anvil is disengaged from the anvil body, rotated, and withdrawn from the patient via the tether line. A method of using the anvil assembly is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil support member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the anvil support member engageable with the circular stapling device;

(b) a body portion mounted on the distal end of the anvil support member;

(c) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion;

(d) means for latching said anvil portion to said body portion, said latching means having at least one male member associated with said body portion for engaging said anvil portion, said anvil portion having at least one recess for engaging said latching means;

(e) a tether line having a first end affixed to said body portion and a second end affixed to said anvil portion for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion; and

(f) biasing means associated with said latching means, said biasing means configured to provide biasing pressure against said at least one made member for positioning said at least one male member into said at least one recess thereby latching said anvil portion with said body portion, said biasing means having a knife ring positioned within said body portion, said knife ring being removable upon engagement with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device.

2. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil support member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the anvil support member engageable with the circular stapling device;

(b) a body portion mounted on the distal end of the anvil support member;

(c) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion;

(d) means for latching said anvil portion to said body portion, said latching means having a corrugated spring band associated with said body portion defining a plurality of male members for engaging said anvil portion;

(e) a tether line having a first end affixed to said body portion and a second end affixed to said anvil portion for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion; and

(f) a knife ring positioned within said body portion, said knife ring being removable upon engagement with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device.

3. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil support member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the anvil support member engageable with the circular stapling device;

(b) a body portion mounted on the distal end of the anvil support member;

(c) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion;

(d) means for latching said anvil portion to said body portion, said latching means having a washer assembly having at least one washer, said at least one washer secured to said body portion and having at least one leg portion configured for placement into a recess in said anvil portion;

(e) a tether line having a first end affixed to said body portion and a second end affixed to said anvil portion for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion; and

(f) biasing means for biasing said at least one washer leg portion into said anvil portion recess, said biasing means including a knife ring positioned within said body portion, said knife ring being removable upon engagement with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device.

4. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil member having an annular array of staple-clinching grooves, said anvil member further having at least one radial recess on an inner surface of said anvil member;

(b) an anvil body engageable with said anvil member, said anvil body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said anvil body lower portion having at least one radially outwardly directed protrusion adapted to engage said at least one radial recess of said anvil member;

(c) a biasing member for biasing said at least one radially outwardly directed protrusion into said at least one radial recess; and

(d) a tether line for linking said anvil body with said anvil member having a first end affixed to said upper portion of said anvil body, and a second end affixed to said anvil member.

5. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device having a handle assembly at a proximal end and a staple carrying portion at a distal end, the anvil assembly comprising:

(a) a body portion engagable with the staple carrying portion of the circular stapling device;

(b) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion;

(c) a washer assembly having at least one washer, said at least one washer secured to said body portion and having at least one leg portion configured for placement into a recess in said anvil portion; and

(d) means for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion.

6. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil member having an annular array of staple-clinching grooves, said anvil member further having a plurality of recesses;

(b) an anvil body mounted on an anvil support member, the anvil body engageable with said anvil member, the anvil body having an upper portion, and a lower portion, forming a plurality of leg portions, said leg portions defining a plurality of latch members for placement into said recesses of said anvil member;

(c) a biasing member for biasing said latch members into said recesses; and

(d) a tether line for linking said anvil body with said anvil member having a first end affixed to said upper portion of said anvil body, and a second end affixed to said anvil member.

7. The anvil assembly of claim 6 wherein said biasing member is a knife ring removable upon engagement with a knife blade of the circular stapling device during operation of the device.

8. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) a body portion;

(b) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion, said anvil portion having at least one recess for engaging a latching mechanism;

(c) a latching mechanism having at least one male member associated with said body portion for engaging said at least one recess of said anvil portion and releasably securing said anvil portion to said body portion;

(d) means for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion; and

(e) biasing means associated with said latching mechanism, said biasing means configured to provide biasing pressure against said at least one male member for positioning said at least one male member into said at least one recess thereby releasably securing said anvil portion to said body portion.

9. The anvil assembly of claim 8 wherein said biasing means is a knife ring positioned within said body portion, said knife ring being removable upon engagement with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device.

10. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil support member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the anvil support member engageable with the circular stapling device;

(b) a body portion mounted on the distal end of the anvil support member;

(c) a monolithically formed anvil portion disengageable from said body portion;

(d) means for latching said anvil portion to said body portion; and

(e) a tether fine having a first end affixed to said body portion and a second end affixed to said anvil portion for linking said body portion to said anvil portion when said anvil portion is disengaged from said body portion wherein said latching means is at least one tab member extending from said body portion for engagement with at least one recess in said anvil portion, said at least one tab member being movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position by contact with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device, thereby removing said at least one tab member from said at least one recess to disengage said anvil portion from anvil body portion.

11. The anvil assembly of claim 10 further comprising a removable knife ring positioned within said body portion, said knife blade being embedded in said ring during at least part of the operation of said device.

12. The anvil assembly of claim 10 wherein said anvil portion further comprises an annular array of staple-clinching grooves.

13. An anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling device, said anvil assembly comprises:

(a) an anvil body portion having an anvil support member extending therefrom and engageable with the circular stapling device the anvil body portion having at least one tab member extending outwardly therefrom;

(b) an anvil ring member disengageable from said anvil body portion and having an annular array of staple-clinching grooves, said anvil ring member further having at least one recess adapted to receive said at least one tab member of said body portion thereby engaging said anvil ring member to said anvil body portion;

(c) removable biasing means disposed within said body portion for maintaining said at least one tab member within said at least one recess; and

(d) means for linking said anvil ring member and said anvil body portion when said anvil ring member is disengaged from said anvil body portion.

14. The anvil assembly of claim 13 wherein said linking means is a tether line having a first end affixed to said anvil body portion, and a second end affixed to said anvil ring member.

15. The anvil assembly of claim 13 wherein said biasing means is a knife ring removable upon engagement with a knife blade of said circular stapling device during operation of said device with said knife blade.