Surgical stapling instrument having separate distinct closing and firing systems
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a handle portion operable to separately produce a firing motion and a closing motion; and
an implement portion responsive to the separate firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising;
an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion,an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, comprising a vertical anvil slot inwardly open along a longitudinal axis of the anvil and comprising left and right longitudinal recesses communicating with, bisected by, and transverse to the vertical slot, anda firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member comprising left and right engagement members each sized to have upper and lower surfaces that slidingly engage inner surfaces of the respective left and right longitudinal recesses in the anvil, and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel,wherein the upper member remains retracted and disengaged from the anvil during closing thereof and wherein engagement of the firing device during firing maintains vertical spacing between the elongate channel and the anvil resisting both pinching due to inadequately clamped tissue and partial opening due to an excessive amount of clamped tissue.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical severing and stapling instrument clamps tissue within an end effector of an elongate channel pivotally opposed by an anvil. An E-beam firing bar affirmatively maintains a desired spacing while severing and stapling tissue by longitudinally engaging the anvil and elongate channel. Separate closing action and firing (i.e., severing and stapling) action of the end effector allows a clinician to selectively position and clamp tissue. The end effector enables this advantageous separate firing while affirmatively spacing the end effector by having an upper pin of the firing bar reside within an anvil pocket before firing. When the anvil is closed and clamped, the upper pin of the E-beam firing bar may move longitudinally and distally from the anvil pocket to an anvil slot thereby engaging the anvil.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
-
a handle portion operable to separately produce a firing motion and a closing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the separate firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion, an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, comprising a vertical anvil slot inwardly open along a longitudinal axis of the anvil and comprising left and right longitudinal recesses communicating with, bisected by, and transverse to the vertical slot, and a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member comprising left and right engagement members each sized to have upper and lower surfaces that slidingly engage inner surfaces of the respective left and right longitudinal recesses in the anvil, and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel, wherein the upper member remains retracted and disengaged from the anvil during closing thereof and wherein engagement of the firing device during firing maintains vertical spacing between the elongate channel and the anvil resisting both pinching due to inadequately clamped tissue and partial opening due to an excessive amount of clamped tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A surgical instrument, comprising:
-
a handle portion operable to separately produce a firing motion in response to actuating a firing trigger and a closing motion in response to actuating a closure trigger; and an implement portion responsive to the separate firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an end effector comprising a lower jaw and a pivoting anvil for repeatedly closing upon and clamping tissue, a closing means for pivoting the anvil toward the lower jaw of the end effector in response to the closure motion from the handle portion; and a firing means for remaining retracted, stationary, and disengaged from the anvil of the end effector allowing repeated closing upon tissue and for distally advancing in response to the firing motion from the handle portion to engage two opposing surfaces of the anvil of the end effector during firing for severing tissue and for maintaining spacing between the opposing jaws against pinching or partial opening. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. An endo-surgical instrument, comprising:
-
a handle portion operable to separately produce a firing motion and a closing motion; an end effector sized for insertion through an endo-surgical cannula passageway; and a shaft attached between the handle portion and the end effector and operably configured to separately transfer the firing and closing motions therebetween; the end effector further comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the shaft, an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel including an anvil slot that proximally communicates with a downwardly open anvil pocket, and a firing device longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil and including an upper member engageable to the anvil slot wherein the anvil slot communicates to an upward surface and a downward surface of the anvil both slidingly contacted by the upper member during distal movement for firing and wherein engagement of the firing device during firing maintains vertical spacing between the elongate channel and the anvil resisting both pinching due to inadequately clamped tissue and partial opening due to an excessive amount of clamped tissue, and wherein the upper member resides disengaged within the downwardly open anvil pocket when retracted. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification