Surgical stapling instrument and method thereof

• US 6,631,837 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heartport, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Heartport, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Heck, Christopher Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US09/940,965
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/176.1, 227/179.1, 227/180.1, 227/175.1, 606/219, 606/194
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1152 applying the staples on the outside of the lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1103 Approximator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11

Abstract

A stapler for stapling a tubular structure to another structure. The stapler has an anvil which is expandable from a collapsed position to an expanded position. The stapler has a recess which receives at least a portion of the tubular structure and a shoulder which receives an everted end of the tubular structure. A first actuator moves the anvil relative to the shoulder for compressing the structures which are to be stapled together. A second actuator is used for driving the staples through the structures to be stapled together.

Claims

1. A stapler for stapling a graft to a body structure, comprising:

a housing having a throughhole and a shoulder;

a staple pusher movably coupled to the housing;

a rod detachably coupled to the housing and configured to be at least partially disposed within the throughhole;

an anvil connected to the rod;

an actuator coupled to the housing, the actuator being configured to drive the staple pusher for driving staples toward the anvil; and

wherein the throughhole is sized to accommodate a graft coaxially between the housing and the rod.

2. The stapler of claim 1, wherein:

the staple pusher includes a plurality of staple drivers for driving a plurality of staples.

3. The stapler of claims 1, wherein:

the anvil comprises a plurality of anvil segments, the plurality of anvil segments being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position.

4. The stapler of claim 3, further comprising:

an expander slidably coupled to the housing, the expander sidably engaging the plurality of anvil segments for moving the plurality of anvil segments between the expanded and collapsed positions.

5. The stapler of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of anvil segments each include a recess for engaging and deforming a staple.