Gas powered apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue

• US 5,862,972 A
• Filed: 12/01/1995
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bolanos, Henry, Green, David T., Heaton, Lisa W., Pelletier, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ashley, Boyer
• Application Number:
  US08/566,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/175.1, 227/176.1, 227/178.1, 227/180.1, 227/181.1
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• 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 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically

Abstract

An endoscopic surgical stapling apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a frame and a generally elongated endoscopic section connected to the frame and extending distally therefrom. The endoscopic section includes a mechanism for storing a plurality of staples, a mechanism for advancing the staples for positioning adjacent body tissue and a mechanism for at least partially closing each staple. A low pressure pneumatic system disposed in the frame provides the forces to at least partially activate the staple advancing mechanism. The apparatus has particular application in attaching mesh to body tissue as in laparoscopic hernia repair.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical stapling apparatus, which comprises:

a) a handle adapted to be gripped by a hand of a user;

b) an endoscopic portion connected to said handle and extending distally from said handle, said endoscopic portion including;

i) means for storing at least one surgical staple;

ii) a staple pusher for individually advancing said at least one surgical staple distally for positioning adjacent body tissue; and

iii) an anvil for at least partially closing said one surgical staple;

c) said handle including;

i) a frame;

ii) a pneumatic system disposed at least partially with said frame and including a supply of pressurized gas and adapted to convert said pressurized gas into a force to distally advance said staple pusher to at least partially close said one surgical staple about said anvil;

iii) a manually engageable actuating member mounted to said frame and at least partially extending beyond said frame so as to be engaged by the user, said actuating member operatively connected to said pneumatic system, said actuating member movable a first distance from an initial position to a first position thereof to actuate said pneumatic system to distally advance said staple pusher;

iv) an engaging member disposed within said frame and operatively connected to said actuating member, said engaging member positioned to operatively engage said staple pusher to prevent said staple pusher from advancing beyond a staple prepositioning position of said staple pusher, said staple prepositioning position corresponding to a partially advanced position of said staple pusher wherein said one staple is at least partially exposed from said storing means, said engaging member moveable to a release position in response to movement of said actuating member a second distance from said first position thereof to a second position thereof to operatively release said staple pusher to thereby permit said staple pusher to move distally under the influence of said pressurized gas beyond said staple prepositioning position to a fully advanced position wherein said one staple is at least partially closed about said anvil.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising tactile means for providing a perceptible tactile indicator to the user when said staple pusher has been advanced to said staple prepositioning position, said tactile means including a spring member disposed within said frame, said spring member positioned to operatively engage said actuating member upon movement of said actuating member to said first position thereof wherein movement of said actuating member beyond said first position is resisted by said spring member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said staple pusher is biased to an initial proximal position by a constant force resilient member.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pneumatic system includes a piston adapted to advance in response to release of gas from said pneumatic system, said piston being operatively connected to said staple pusher such that distal movement of said piston causes corresponding distal movement of said staple pusher.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said piston is connected to an actuating rod disposed within said frame, said actuating rod connected to said staple pusher such that longitudinal movement of said piston and said actuating rod causes corresponding longitudinal movement of said staple pusher.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said engaging member is an actuating stop, said actuating stop movable between an engaged position wherein said actuating stop engages said actuating rod at a position corresponding to said staple prepositioning position of said staple pusher and a disengaged position wherein said actuating stop is disengaged from said actuating rod to permit further distal movement of said piston and said actuating rod thereby permitting movement of said staple pusher to said fully advanced position of said staple pusher.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said staple storing means is pivotally attached at a distal end portion of said endoscopic portion.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 including a control member for pivotally moving said staple storing means from a proximal location.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said staple storing means is adapted to rotate to predetermined angles with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by said endoscopic portion.

10. Apparatus for endoscopic application of surgical staples to body tissue, which comprises:

a) a handle member;

b) a generally elongated endoscopic portion connected to the handle member and extending distally therefrom, the endoscopic portion including;

i) a staple cartridge having at least one staple positioned therein;

ii) an anvil; and

iii) a staple pusher longitudinally distally movable and engagable with the one staple wherein distal movement of the staple pusher advances the one staple to at least partially close the one staple about the anvil; and

c) the handle member including;

i) a frame;

ii) a pneumatic system including a supply of pressurized gas and adapted to convert the pressurized gas to distally advance the staple pusher;

iii) a moveable member disposed within the frame and connected to the staple pusher, the moveable member distally moveable in response to release of the pressurized gas of the pneumatic system to distally advance the staple pusher;

iv) an actuating member operatively connected to the pneumatic system and movably mounted to the frame, the actuating member at least partially extending beyond said frame so as to be engaged by a user, the actuating member movable a first distance from an initial position to a first position to activate the pneumatic system thereby causing distal advancing movement of the moveable member and the staple pusher;

v) a stop disposed within the frame and positioned to engage the moveable member to prevent distal movement of the staple pusher beyond a staple prepositioning position thereof, the staple prepositioning position corresponding to a partially advanced position of the staple pusher wherein the one staple is at least partially exposed from the staple cartridge, the stop operatively connected to the actuating member and movable to a disengaged position disengaged from the moveable member in response to movement of the actuating member a second distance from the first position thereof to a second position thereof, to thereby permit the moveable member and the staple pusher to advance distally under the influence of the pressurized gas beyond the staple prepositioning position to a fully advanced position whereby the one staple is at least partially closed about the anvil.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 including a release link connected to the actuating member and engageable with the stop, the release link moving the stop to the disengaged position upon movement of the actuating member the second distance from the first position thereof to the second position thereof.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 including a spring member for providing a perceptible tactile indicator to the user when the staple pusher has been advanced to the staple prepositioning position, the spring member positioned to engage the release link upon movement of the actuating member and the release link to the first position of the actuating member such that movement of the actuating member beyond the first position is resisted by the spring member due to the engagement of the spring member with the release link.

13. Apparatus for endoscopic application of surgical staples to body tissue, which comprises:

a) a handle member;

b) a generally elongated endoscopic portion connected to the handle member and extending distally therefrom, the endoscopic portion including;

i) a staple cartridge having at least one staple positioned therein;

ii) an anvil; and

iii) a staple pusher longitudinally distally moveable and engageable with the one staple wherein distal movement of the staple pusher advances the one staple to at least partially close the one staple about the anvil; and

c) the handle member including;

i) a pneumatic system including a supply of pressurized gas and adapted to convert the pressurized gas into a force to activate the staple pusher;

ii) a manually engageable and manipulable actuating member operatively connected to the pneumatic system, the actuating member movable to activate the pneumatic system such that the staple pusher is distally advanced; and

iii) an engaging member operatively connected to the staple pusher and movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein, in the engaged position, the engaging member operatively engages the staple pusher upon distal movement of the staple pusher to a first predetermined position thereof to thereby prevent distal movement of the staple pusher beyond the first predetermined position, and wherein, in the disengaged position, the engaging member operatively releases the staple pusher to permit further advancing movement of the staple pusher beyond the first predetermined position to a second fully advanced position to at least partially close the staple about the anvil.