Surgical cutting instrument with improved cutting edge

• US 5,931,847 A
• Filed: 01/09/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Lau, Peter, Bowser, W. G., Ruder, David H., Bittner, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US08/775,537
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 606/119, 606/120, 606/139, 606/142, 606/143, 606/151, 606/157, 606/167, 606/176, 606/177, 606/185, 606/219-221, 227/19, 227/178.1, 227/176.1, 227/180.1
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor

Abstract

A surgical tissue fastening device for fastening and transecting tissue includes a handle having a cartridge assembly connected the handle. The cartridge assembly includes a cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners. An anvil assembly is connected to the handle and includes an anvil surface that is positionable adjacent the cartridge. The anvil surface receives and forms the fasteners ejected from the cartridge upon firing of the instrument. Tissue that is desired to be fastened and transected is placed between the anvil and the cartridge. The instrument also includes a knife blade which is movable between the cartridge and the anvil for cutting the tissue. The knife blade has a knife edge having a plurality of pairs of cutting tips for piercing the tissue and a notch located between each pair of cutting tips for capturing foreign objects, such as staples, in the notch. An actuator assembly is operatively connected to the cartridge assembly and the knife blade for ejecting the fasteners from the cartridge to the anvil surface and for advancing the knife blade through the tissue for transecting the tissue between the cartridge and the anvil.

Claims

1. A method for fastening and cutting tissue having an object located in the tissue comprising the steps of:

providing a surgical tissue fastening device comprising a handle, a cartridge assembly connected to said handle, said cartridge assembly including a cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners, an anvil assembly connected to said handle and positionable adjacent said cartridge assembly, said anvil assembly including an anvil surface for receiving and for forming said fasteners ejected from said cartridge, said anvil surface and said cartridge adapted for receiving tissue therebetween, a knife blade movable between said cartridge and said anvil surface for cutting said tissue, said knife blade having a knife edge comprising a plurality of pairs of cutting tips and a notch interposed between each pair of cutting tips for capturing an object encountered during movement of said knife blade and an actuator assembly operatively connected to said cartridge assembly and said knife blade for ejecting said fasteners from said cartridge to said anvil surface through said tissue and for advancing said knife blade for cutting said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface;

positioning said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface;

ejecting said fasteners into said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface; and

advancing said knife blade through said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil for cutting said tissue with said knife edge wherein said object is encountered and captured in said notch.

2. A method for transecting tissue having an object located in the tissue to be transected comprising the steps of:

providing a surgical tissue fastening device comprising a handle, a cartridge assembly connected to said handle, said cartridge assembly including a cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners, an anvil assembly connected to said handle and positionable adjacent said cartridge assembly, said anvil assembly including an anvil surface for receiving and for forming said fasteners ejected from said cartridge, said anvil surface and said cartridge adapted for receiving tissue therebetween, a knife blade movable between said cartridge and said anvil surface for cutting said tissue, said knife blade having a knife edge comprising a plurality of pairs of cutting tips and a notch interposed between each pair of cutting tips and an actuator assembly operatively connected to said cartridge assembly and said knife blade for ejecting said fasteners from said cartridge to said anvil surface through said tissue and for advancing said knife blade for cutting said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface;

positioning said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface;

ejecting said fasteners into said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil surface; and

advancing said knife blade through said tissue between said cartridge and said anvil for cutting said tissue with said knife edge wherein said object in said tissue is contained within one notch between a pair of cutting tips.