Surgical stapling instrument with a firing member return mechanism
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- an end effector;
a firing member;
a trigger;
firing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for advancing said firing member relative to said end effector upon a first actuation of said trigger;
reversing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for retracting said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; and
a switch including a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, wherein said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive means from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive means with said firing member when said first portion is moved into said second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument including a firing drive configured to selectively advance a firing member and/or cutting member relative to an end effector and, in addition, a reversing drive configured to selectively retract the firing member and/or cutting member relative to the end effector. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument can further include a switch including relatively movable first and second portions, wherein the first portion can be configured to operably disengage the firing drive from the firing member and, in addition, operably engage the reversing drive with the firing member. In at least one embodiment, the second portion can include a handle extending therefrom which can be motivated by the surgeon in order to engage the second portion with the first portion and move the first portion into position.
2195 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; firing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for advancing said firing member relative to said end effector upon a first actuation of said trigger; reversing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for retracting said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; and a switch including a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, wherein said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive means from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive means with said firing member when said first portion is moved into said second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member relative to said end effector upon a first actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; and a switch including a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, wherein said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first portion is moved into said second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably engage a first key with said firing drive to prevent said firing drive from advancing said firing member and wherein said first portion is further configured to operably engage a second key with said reversing drive when said first portion is moved into said second position.
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8. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member relative to said end effector upon an actuation of said trigger; a first gear operably engaged with said firing member; a second gear operably engaged with said trigger, wherein said first gear is selectively engageable with said second gear; and a switch including a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, where said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said first gear with said second gear when said first portion is moved into its second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; firing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for advancing said firing member relative to said end effector upon an actuation of said trigger; reversing drive means selectively engageable with said firing member for retracting said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first cam configured to operably disengage said firing drive means from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive means with said firing member when said first cam is actuated; and a second cam configured to selectively actuate said first cam. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member relative to said end effector upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first cam configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated; and a second cam configured to selectively actuate said first cam, wherein said reversing drive includes a third cam configured to actuate said first cam when said firing member is advanced. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector; a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member relative to said end effector upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member relative to said end effector upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first cam configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated; and a second cam configured to selectively actuate said first cam, wherein said first cam is configured to bias a first key into said firing drive to prevent said firing drive from advancing said firing member and insert a second key into said reversing drive in order to operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first cam configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated; and a second cam configured to selectively actuate said first cam, wherein said reversing drive comprises a third cam configured to actuate said first cam when said firing member is advanced. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first cam configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated; a second cam configured to selectively actuate said first cam, a first key, wherein said first cam is configured to bias said first key into engagement with said firing drive to prevent said firing drive from advancing said firing member when said first cam is actuated; and a second key, wherein said first cam is configured to bias said second key into engagement with said reversing drive in order to operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first cam is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a switch comprising; a first switch portion configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first switch portion is actuated; and a second switch portion configured to selectively actuate said first switch portion, wherein said reversing drive comprises a cam configured to actuate said first switch portion when said firing member is advanced. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon an actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a first switch portion configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first switch portion is actuated; a second switch portion configured to selectively actuate said first switch portion, a first key, wherein said first switch portion is configured to bias said first key into engagement with said firing drive to prevent said firing drive from advancing said firing member when said first switch portion is actuated; and a second key, wherein said first switch portion is configured to bias said second key into engagement with said reversing drive in order to operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first switch portion is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon an actuation of said trigger; a first gear operably engaged with said firing member; a second gear operably engaged with said trigger, wherein said first gear is selectively engageable with said second gear; and a switch comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, wherein said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said first gear with said second gear when said first portion is moved into its second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a firing member; a trigger; a firing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said firing drive is configured to advance said firing member upon a first actuation of said trigger; a reversing drive selectively engageable with said firing member, wherein said reversing drive is configured to retract said firing member upon a subsequent actuation of said trigger; a switch comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable relative to said second portion, wherein said first portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first portion is configured to operably disengage said firing drive from said firing member and operably engage said reversing drive with said firing member when said first portion is moved into said second position, and wherein said second portion is configured to be selectively operated to move said first portion into said second position, a first key, wherein said first portion is configured to operably engage a first key with said firing drive to prevent said firing drive from advancing said firing member when said first portion is moved into said second position; and a second key, wherein said first portion is further configured to operably engage a second key with said reversing drive when said first portion is moved into said second position. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification