Surgical instrument with indicator

• US 8,215,530 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Milliman, Keith L
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US13/274,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20120031948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/176.1, 227/175.1, 227/175.2, 227/180.1, 606/139, 606/219
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00367 Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0725 with settable gap between anvil and cartridge, e.g. for different staple heights at different shots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument including a handle assembly, an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle assembly, a head portion and an indicator. A firing trigger is movable between first and second positions. The head portion includes an anvil assembly and a shell assembly. The anvil assembly is movable in relation to the shell assembly between spaced and approximated positions. The indicator is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the handle assembly and is movable between a first position and a second position in response to movement of the anvil assembly towards its approximated position. The indicator is movable between the second position and a third position in response to firing of the instrument.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a handle assembly including a movable handle;

an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle assembly;

first and second jaw members disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated body portion, the first jaw member being movable with respect to the second jaw member between spaced and approximated positions; and

an indicator disposed in mechanical cooperation with the handle assembly and being movable between a first position and a second position in response to a first predetermined amount of actuation of the movable handle, and the indicator being movable between the second position and third position in response to a second predetermined amount of actuation of the movable handle.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes a pawl and the movable handle is configured to contact the pawl when the movable handle is moved the first predetermined amount.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the indicator is rotatable in a first direction and the handle assembly includes a stationary handle, the pawl being rotatable relative to the stationary handle in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 2, further comprising a slidable member operatively associated with the indicator, the pawl including an engagement surface engageable with the slide member to effect further proximal movement of the slide member to move the indicator to the third position.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 2, further comprising a slide member operatively associated with the indicator, the pawl having an engagement surface engageable with the slide member to retract the slide member.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes at least two different indicia including a first indicia being visible to a user when the indicator is in its second position and a second indicia being visible to the user when the indicator is in its third position.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the indicator is rotatable with respect to the stationary handle.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes a window, a portion of the indicator viewable through the window.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the indicator is biased towards its first position.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the indicator is rotatable in a first direction from its first position towards its second position and from its second position towards its third position.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the elongated body portion includes a longitudinally curved portion.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a slide member operatively associated with the indicator and an approximation mechanism for moving the first jaw member between spaced and approximated positions, the approximation mechanism including a screw stop engageable with the slide member to move the slide member proximally upon retraction of the screw stop to move the indicator to the second position.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12, wherein the handle assembly includes a pawl and the movable handle is configured to contact the pawl when the movable handle has moved its second predetermined amount, the pawl having an engagement surface engageable with the slide member to move the slide member farther proximally to move the indicator to the third position.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further including a lockout mechanism disposed in mechanical cooperation with the handle assembly, wherein approximation of the jaw members causes the lockout mechanism to move from a blocking position where the movable handle is prevented from moving towards a stationary handle, to an enabling position where the movable handle is capable of moving towards the stationary handle.