Surgical stapling device and method
First Claim
1. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
- an elongate housing;
a surgical staple slidable longitudinally within the housing towards a free forward thereof, the staple having a back and two forwardly pointing legs;
a staple-firing mechanism for driving the staple towards the free end of the housing, bending the staple to bring the free ends of the legs towards one another to close the staple, and releasing the closed staple; and
a cap located at the free end of the housing at a position where, in operation of the staple-firing mechanism, the cap becomes trapped between the back of the closed staple and human or animal tissue being stapled so as to provide a greater area of pressure on the tissue than in the absence of the cap, and closure of the staple effects a lateral compression of the cap to at least partially close a central opening formed in the cap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapling device is provided having an elongate housing and a surgical staple slidable longitudinally within the housing towards a free forward end thereof, the staple having a back and two forwardly pointing legs. The housing contains a staple-firing mechanism for driving the staple towards the free end of the housing, bending the staple to bring the free ends of the legs towards one another to close the staple, and releasing the closed staple. A cap is located at the free end of the housing at a position where, in operation of the staple-firing mechanism, the cap becomes trapped between the back of the closed staple and human or animal tissue being stapled so as to provide a greater area of pressure on the tissue than in the absence of the cap.
1676 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
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an elongate housing; a surgical staple slidable longitudinally within the housing towards a free forward thereof, the staple having a back and two forwardly pointing legs; a staple-firing mechanism for driving the staple towards the free end of the housing, bending the staple to bring the free ends of the legs towards one another to close the staple, and releasing the closed staple; and a cap located at the free end of the housing at a position where, in operation of the staple-firing mechanism, the cap becomes trapped between the back of the closed staple and human or animal tissue being stapled so as to provide a greater area of pressure on the tissue than in the absence of the cap, and closure of the staple effects a lateral compression of the cap to at least partially close a central opening formed in the cap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of stapling human or animal tissue, the method including:
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providing a stapling device comprising an elongate housing, a surgical staple slidable longitudinally within the housing towards a free forward end thereof, the staple having a back end two forwardly pointing legs, and a staple-firing mechanism for driving the staple towards the free end of the housing; bending the staple to bring the free ends of the legs towards one another to close the staple; releasing the closed staple; and placing a cap at the free end of the housing and operating the staple-firing mechanism, the cap being located at a position where, in operation of the staple-firing mechanism, the cap becomes trapped between the back of the closed staple and human or animal tissue being stapled so as to provide a greater area of pressure on the tissue than in the absence of the cap.
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Specification