Surgical stapler having cartridge with adjustable cam mechanism

• US 8,418,907 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Paul Anthony, Edwards, Daniel Robert Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US12/899,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20110101067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 227/176.1, 227/19, 227/178.1
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• 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 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• 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 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments

Abstract

A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising a cartridge section having a cartridge containing a plurality of fasteners and an anvil section having an anvil for receiving the fasteners when advanced from the cartridge. The cartridge and anvil sections clamp tissue therebetween. A cam member is slidable within the cartridge section to fire the fasteners, and is movable from a first position defining a first distance from the anvil to a second position defining a second different distance from the anvil. A cam adjusting member is operably associated with the cam member and moves the cam member from the first position to the second position in response to a thickness of tissue clamped between the anvil and cartridge sections.

Claims

1. A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising:

a cartridge section having a cartridge containing a plurality of fasteners, the cartridge including a tissue contacting surface;

an anvil section having an anvil for receiving the fasteners when advanced from the cartridge, the cartridge and anvil sections clamping tissue therebetween;

a cam member slidable within the cartridge section to fire the fasteners, the cam member having a first level defining a first distance from the tissue contacting surface and movable to a second level defining a second distance from the tissue contacting surface, the second level being different from the first level, the first and second levels being transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge; and

a cam adjusting member operably associated with the cam member, the cam adjusting member moving the cam member from the first level to the second level in response to a thickness of tissue clamped between the anvil and cartridge sections.

2. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam adjusting member is spring biased toward the anvil section.

3. The surgical fastener of claim 2, wherein the cam adjusting member is forced away from the anvil section to overcome the spring bias in response to a force applied thereto by tissue.

4. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising first and second pivoting members, the first and second pivoting members interposed between the cam member and the cam adjusting member.

5. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second cam adjusting member spring biased toward the anvil section.

6. The surgical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the staple cartridge includes a plurality of staples and a plurality of staple slots, the staples advanceable through the staple slots for formation against anvil pockets of the anvil, and further comprising a plurality of pushers engagable with the staples within the slots, the pushers being positioned at a fixed distance from an opening of the staple slots.

7. The surgical apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cam member contacts the staple pushers at a different contact area depending on the thickness of tissue and the level of the cam member.

8. The surgical fastener applying apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the cam member has a plurality of projections to retain the cam member in one of a plurality of levels with respect to the staple pushers.

9. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pushers are movable by the cam member in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of movement of the cam member.

10. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam adjusting members have an extended planar tissue contacting surface.

11. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pivotable element engageable with the cam adjusting member, the pivotable element pivotable in response to movement of the cam adjusting member.

12. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a pivoting arm operatively associated with the pivoting element and applying a force to the cam member in a direction away from a tissue contacting surface of the cartridge.

13. A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising

a cartridge section having a cartridge containing a plurality of fasteners and having a tissue contacting surface;

an anvil section having an anvil for receiving the fasteners when advanced from the cartridge, the cartridge and anvil sections clamping tissue therebetween;

a cam member movable between a first level defining a first distance from the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge and a second level defining a second different distance from the tissue contacting surface, the cam member automatically adjusts from the first level to the second level in response to the thickness of tissue positioned between the anvil and cartridge sections, the first and second levels being transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

14. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cam member is slidable in a longitudinal direction to contact pushers to fire the fasteners.

15. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one locking structure to fix the cam member in the second level.

16. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an elongated cam adjusting member movable to adjust the level of the cam member.

17. The surgical fastener applying apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a second cam adjusting member, and wherein the cartridge section includes a plurality of staple pushers, the cam member includes an angled surface configured and dimensioned to contact a first region of the staple pushers when the cam member is in the first level and contact a second region of the staple pushers when the cam member is in the second level.