Surgical stapling devices for forming staples with different formed heights
First Claim
1. A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions, said staple cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge body supportable within the stapling device for selective confronting relationship with the anvil portion thereof when in a closed position, said cartridge body configured to axially receive the actuator therein;
at least one first staple driver movably supported within said cartridge body for contact by the actuator such that, as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said first staple drivers are driven in a direction toward the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position, each said first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle therein for supporting a staple thereon, said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the closed anvil; and
at least one second staple driver movably supported within said cartridge body for contact by the actuator such that as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said second staple drivers are driven in said direction toward the closed anvil, each said second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle therein for supporting another staple thereon, said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another portion of the closed anvil wherein said second staple forming distance differs from said first staple forming distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied without the need to use different sizes of staples.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions, said staple cartridge comprising:
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a cartridge body supportable within the stapling device for selective confronting relationship with the anvil portion thereof when in a closed position, said cartridge body configured to axially receive the actuator therein; at least one first staple driver movably supported within said cartridge body for contact by the actuator such that, as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said first staple drivers are driven in a direction toward the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position, each said first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle therein for supporting a staple thereon, said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the closed anvil; and at least one second staple driver movably supported within said cartridge body for contact by the actuator such that as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said second staple drivers are driven in said direction toward the closed anvil, each said second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle therein for supporting another staple thereon, said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another portion of the closed anvil wherein said second staple forming distance differs from said first staple forming distance.
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2. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; an implement portion responsive to the firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and configured to support a staple cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and having an anvil channel therein; a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable within the elongate channel; an upper member on said firing device engageable to the anvil channel and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel during distal movement for firing, and wherein said staple cartridge comprises; a cartridge body supportable within the elongate channel, said cartridge body having a non-planar deck surface configured to confront a staple forming portion of the anvil staple-forming pockets therein when the anvil is in a closed position; a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body and being sequentially movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position upon sequential interaction with the firing device, each said first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle therein for supporting a staple thereon, each said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the staple forming portion of the closed anvil; and a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body and being laterally spaced from said first staple drivers, each said second staple driver being sequentially movable from another unactuated position to another actuated position upon sequential interaction with the firing device, each said second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle therein for supporting another staple thereon, each said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another corresponding portion of the staple forming portion of the closed anvil that corresponds to the second staple support cradle and wherein said second staple forming distance differs in magnitude from said first staple forming distance. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; an implement portion responsive to the firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and configured to support a staple cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and having an anvil channel therein; a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable within said elongate channel and the anvil, said firing device having an upper portion for engaging said anvil channel and a lower portion for engaging the elongate channel during distal movement for firing and wherein said staple cartridge comprises; a cartridge body sized to be supported within the elongate channel, said cartridge body having a longitudinally extending slot therein for reciprocatingly receiving the firing device therein, said cartridge body having a non-planar deck surface configured to confront a staple forming portion of the anvil having staple forming pockets therein when the anvil is in a closed position; a first plurality of inside staple drivers axially aligned in a first row of inside staple drivers in a portion of said cartridge body adjacent a first side of said longitudinally extending slot and a second plurality of inside staple drivers axially aligned in a second row of inside staple drivers in another portion of said cartridge body adjacent a second side of said longitudinally extending slot, said inside staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for selective movement toward the anvil when the anvil is in a closed position, each said inside staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a staple thereon, each said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the anvil when the anvil is in a closed position; a first plurality of outside staple drivers axially aligned in a first row of outside staple drivers adjacent to said first row of said inside staple drivers and a second plurality of outside staple drivers axially aligned in a second row of outside staple drivers and adjacent to said second row of inside staple drivers, each of said outside staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for selective driving movement toward the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position, each of said outside staple drivers defining a second staple support cradle for supporting another staple thereon, each said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another corresponding portion of the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position, said second staple forming distance differing in magnitude from said first staple forming distance; and a wedge sled supported within said cartridge body for driving contact by the firing device and actuating contact with said first and second pluralities of said inside staple drivers and said first and second pluralities of said outside staple drivers such that, as said firing device moves within said elongated slot in said cartridge body in a first axial direction, said wedge sled drives each of said inside and outside drivers towards the anvil to bring the staples supported thereon into forming contact with the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; an implement portion responsive to the firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and configured to support a staple cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and having an anvil channel therein; a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable within said elongate channel and the anvil, said firing device having an upper portion engageable to the anvil channel and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel during distal movement for firing and wherein said staple cartridge comprises; a cartridge body sized to be supported within the elongate channel, said cartridge body having a longitudinally extending slot therein for reciprocatingly receiving the firing device therein and a non-planar deck surface configured to confront a staple forming portion of the anvil having staple forming pockets therein when the anvil is in a closed position; a plurality of first inside staple drivers axially aligned in a first row of first inside staple drivers on a first side of said longitudinally extending slot, each of said first inside staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for selective movement toward the anvil when the anvil is in a closed position and supporting at least one staple thereon; a plurality of first outside staple drivers aligned in a first row of first outside staple drivers on said first side of said longitudinally extending slot and adjacent to said first row of said first inside staple drivers, each of said first outside staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for selective driving movement toward the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position and supporting another one of said staples thereon; and a wedge sled supported within said cartridge body for contact with said firing bar, said wedge sled comprising; a first inside sled cam having a first maximum sled cam height measured from a bottom-most drive surface of said first inside cam to an upper-most portion of said first inside cam, said first inside sled cam oriented for sequential sliding actuating contact with said first inside staple drivers in said first row of said first inside staple drivers when said firing bar is axially advanced through said elongated slot in a first axial direction such that said first inside staple drivers are driven towards the anvil a first distance equal to said first maximum sled cam height; and a first outside sled cam having a second maximum sled cam height measured from a bottom-most drive surface of said first outside cam to an upper-most portion of said first outside cam, said second maximum sled cam height differing in magnitude from said first maximum sled cam height, said first outside sled cam oriented for sequential sliding actuating contact with said first outside staple drivers in said first row of said first outside staple drivers when said firing bar is advanced through said elongated slot in the first direction such that said first outside staple drivers are driven towards the anvil a second distance equal to said second maximum sled cam height. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A surgical stapling device, comprising:
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a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; an implement portion responsive to the firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising; an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and configured to support a staple cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and having an anvil channel therein; a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable in said elongate channel and the anvil, said firing device further having an upper member engageable to the anvil channel and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel during distal movement for firing and wherein said staple cartridge comprises; a cartridge body supportable within the stapling device for selective confronting relationship with the anvil portion thereof when in a closed position, said cartridge body configured to axially receive the distally presented cutting edge of the firing member therein and having a non-planar deck surface configured to confront a staple forming portion of the anvil having staple forming pockets therein when the anvil is in a closed position; a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for sequential contact by the actuator such that, as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said first staple drivers are sequentially driven in a direction toward the anvil when the anvil is in the closed position, each said first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle therein for supporting a staple thereon, said first staple support cradle located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the closed anvil; a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body for sequential contact by the actuator such that as the actuator is axially advanced through said cartridge body, said second staple drivers are sequentially driven in said direction toward the closed anvil, each said second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle therein for supporting another staple thereon, said second staple support cradle located a second staple forming distance from another portion of the closed anvil that corresponds to the second staple support cradle and wherein said second staple forming distance differs from said first staple forming distance; a plurality of third staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body and being sequentially movable from a third unactuated position to a third actuated position upon sequential interaction with the actuator, each said third staple driver defining a third staple support cradle therein that is located a third maximum staple forming distance from another portion of the closed anvil that corresponds to the third staple support cradle when the anvil is in closed position, and wherein said first maximum staple forming distance differs from said at least one of said second and third maximum staple forming distances; a first staple disposed in at least one of said first staple support cradles; a second staple disposed in at least one of said second staple support cradles; and a third staple in each of said third staple in at least one of said third staple support cradles.
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Specification