Surgical fastener applying apparatus including a knife guard

• US 8,973,805 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Scirica, Paul A., Taylor, Eric, Hathaway, Peter, Chowaniec, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pathak, Praachi M
• Application Number:
  US13/480,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130313305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 30/2, 301/51, 301/52, 301/53, 301/54, 301/55, 301/62, 302/86, 303/35, 303/40, 303/29, 833/97, 833/98, 227/180.1, 227/175.1, 227/176.1
• US Class Current: 227/180.1
• 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 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0023 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0801 Prevention of accidental cutting or pricking

Abstract

A surgical fastener applying apparatus includes a cartridge-receiving assembly and a cartridge assembly releasably engagable therewith. The cartridge assembly includes a housing and a knife assembly having a knife translatable from an initial position to a deployed position and a knife guard pivotable between a storage position, wherein the knife guard substantially encloses the knife member, and a use position, wherein the knife member is exposed for translation through the housing. The knife guard engages to the knife member such that translation of the knife member rotates the guard to the use position.

Claims

1. A surgical fastener applying apparatus, comprising:

a cartridge-receiving assembly;

a cartridge assembly releasably engagable with the cartridge-receiving assembly, the cartridge assembly including;

a cartridge housing configured to house a plurality of surgical fasteners; and

a knife assembly, the knife assembly including;

a knife member configured to translate through the cartridge housing from an initial position to a deployed position; and

a knife guard pivotably coupled to the cartridge housing and movable between a storage position, wherein the knife guard substantially encloses the knife member, and a use position, wherein the knife member is exposed for translation through the cartridge housing, the knife guard interacting with the knife member such that translation of the knife member away from the initial position urges the knife guard to rotate from the storage position to the use position and such that translation of the knife member back to the storage position urges the knife guard to rotate from the use position back to the storage position.

2. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the knife guard defines a cam track and wherein the knife member includes a guard pin releasably engaged within the cam track.

3. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein translation of the knife member from the initial position to the deployed position urges the guard pin through the cam track to rotate the knife guard from the storage position to the use position.

4. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein further translation of the knife member to a further deployed position urges the guard pin to exit the cam track of the knife guard.

5. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein return of the knife member to the initial position urges the guard pin to enter the cam track of the knife guard and translate through the cam track of the knife guard to rotate the knife guard from the use position back to the storage position.

6. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge-receiving assembly includes a drive screw and a drive beam, the drive beam threadingly engaged about the drive screw such that rotation of the drive screw effects translation of the drive beam.

7. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cartridge assembly further includes an actuation sled slidably disposed within the cartridge housing and configured to translate through the cartridge housing to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge housing.

8. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein translation of the drive beam in a first direction urges the actuation sled and the knife member to translate through the cartridge housing in the first direction to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge housing and cut tissue, respectively.

9. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive beam is engagable with the knife member such that translation of the drive beam in a second, opposite direction, pulls the knife member to translate in the second, opposite direction.

10. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an anvil assembly movable relative to the cartridge-receiving assembly between an open position and a closed position for clamping tissue therebetween.

11. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drive beam includes a cam pin configured for insertion into and translation through a corresponding slot defined within the anvil member to move the anvil assembly from the open position to the closed position upon translation of the drive beam in a first direction.

12. The surgical fastener applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the knife guard includes a protrusion extending therefrom and wherein, when the knife guard is disposed in the use position, the protrusion abuts the anvil assembly to define a minimum gap distance between the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly.

13. A surgical kit, comprising:

a surgical fastener applying apparatus, the surgical fastener applying apparatus including;

a cartridge-receiving assembly including a drive beam; and

an anvil assembly movable relative to the cartridge-receiving assembly between an open position and a closed position for clamping tissue therebetween; and

a plurality of cartridge assemblies, each cartridge assembly releasably engagable with the cartridge-receiving assembly, each cartridge assembly including;

a cartridge housing configured to house a plurality of surgical fasteners; and

a knife assembly including a knife member and a knife guard, the knife member configured to translate through the cartridge housing to cut tissue, the knife guard pivotably coupled to the cartridge housing and movable between a storage position, wherein the knife guard substantially encloses the knife member, and a use position, wherein the knife member is exposed for translation through the cartridge housing.

14. The surgical kit according to claim 13, wherein each cartridge assembly further includes an actuation sled slidably disposed within the cartridge housing and configured to translate through the cartridge housing to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge housing upon translation of the drive beam through the cartridge housing.

15. The surgical kit according to claim 13, wherein translation of the knife member from an initial position to a deployed position urges the knife guard to rotate from the storage position to the use position.

16. The surgical kit according to claim 15, wherein further translation of the knife member to a further deployed position urges the knife member to disengage from the knife guard.

17. The surgical kit according to claim 16, wherein return of the knife member to the initial position urges the knife guard to rotate from the use position back to the storage position.

18. A method of surgery, comprising the steps of:

providing an end effector assembly including an anvil assembly and a cartridge-receiving assembly having a drive beam;

engaging a first cartridge assembly with the cartridge-receiving assembly, the first cartridge assembly housing a first plurality of surgical fasteners and including a first knife assembly having a first knife member and a first knife guard; and

translating the drive beam through the first cartridge assembly in a first direction to progressively approximate the anvil assembly relative to the first cartridge assembly to clamp tissue therebetween, rotate the first knife guard from a storage position to a use position, sequentially eject the first plurality of surgical fasteners from the first cartridge assembly, and translate the first knife member through the first cartridge assembly in the first direction to cut tissue between the surgical fasteners.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

translating the drive beam through the first cartridge assembly in a second direction to translate the first knife member through the first cartridge assembly in the second direction, rotate the first knife guard from the use position back to the storage position, and progressively space-apart the anvil assembly from the first cartridge assembly;

disengaging the first cartridge assembly from the cartridge-receiving assembly; and

engaging a second cartridge assembly with the cartridge-receiving assembly, the second cartridge assembly housing a second plurality of surgical fasteners and including a second knife assembly having a second knife member and a second knife guard.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

translating the drive beam through the second cartridge assembly in the first direction to progressively approximate the anvil assembly relative to the second cartridge assembly to clamp tissue therebetween, rotate the second knife guard from a storage position to a use position, sequentially eject the second plurality of surgical fasteners from the second cartridge assembly, and translate the second knife member through the second cartridge assembly in the first direction to cut tissue between the surgical fasteners.