Staple cartridges for forming staples having differing formed staple heights

• US 9,326,768 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Chukwurah, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US13/795,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20130186936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/176.1, 227/178.1, 227/181.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• 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 2017/07242 achieving different staple heights during the same shot, e.g. using an anvil anvil having different heights or staples of different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07264 characterised by its staple forming cavities, e.g. geometry or material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/0292 with the objects to be stapled together introduced perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tool in an opening formed by an anvil and a plunger

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.

Claims

1. A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil that includes at least one tissue stop portion thereon, the surgical staple cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the anvil is moved to a closed position;

a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a first surgical staple thereon to define a linear row of first surgical staples within the cartridge body; and

a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a second surgical staple thereon to define another linear row of second surgical staples within the cartridge body and wherein a proximal-most first driver and a proximal-most second driver are configured and positioned within the cartridge body such that at least a portion of one first surgical staple and at least a portion of one second surgical staple are located proximal to a distal end of at least one of the tissue stop portions on the anvil when the first and second surgical staples are driven into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil and such that the first surgical staples have a formed staple height that differs from a formed height of the second surgical staples.

2. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 wherein each first staple support cradle is located a first staple forming distance from a corresponding portion of the staple forming surface on the anvil and each second staple support cradle is located a second staple forming distance from another corresponding portion of the staple forming surface and wherein the first staple forming distance is different from the second staple forming distance.

3. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 wherein each said first staple driver supports at least two of said first surgical staples thereon.

4. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 further comprising an elongate slot in the cartridge body and wherein the plurality of first staple drivers are configured to support said linear row of first surgical staples within the cartridge body on each side of the elongate slot and wherein the plurality of second staple drivers are configured to support said another linear row of second surgical staples within the cartridge body on each side of said elongate slot.

5. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 4 wherein each said first driver is configured to support two first surgical staples thereon that are linearly offset from each other.

6. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 5 wherein the first staple drivers on one side of the elongate slot are located between the elongate slot and the second staple drivers located on a same side of the elongate slot.

7. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 5 wherein each of the second staples supported on one side of the elongate slot is laterally aligned with a corresponding first staple located on a same side of the elongate slot.

8. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 wherein a number of first staple drivers exceed a number of second staple drivers.

9. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 further comprising a wedge sled supported within said cartridge body for driving contact with each of the first and second staple drivers upon application of a firing motion thereto.

10. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 wherein all of the first and second surgical staples have substantially the same unformed size and shape.

11. A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil that includes at least one tissue stop portion thereon, the surgical staple cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the anvil is moved to a closed position, the cartridge body including an elongate slot for receiving a cutting portion of the surgical stapling instrument;

a plurality of first staple drivers operably supported in said cartridge body and configured to eject surgical staples into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil in at least two linear rows located on at least one lateral side of the elongate slot such that at least a portion of a proximal-most surgical staple in each said linear row is located proximal to a distal end of at least one of the tissue stop portions on the anvil when the surgical staples are ejected into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil; and

a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to eject other surgical staples in another linear row located on said at least one lateral side of the elongate slot into forming contact with the staple forming surface on the anvil such that a proximal-most other surgical staple in said another linear row is distal to the distal end of the at least one tissue stop portion and wherein the other surgical staples ejected by the second staple drivers have a formed staple height that differs from a formed staple height of the surgical staples in at least one said linear row of surgical staples ejected by said first staple drivers.

12. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 wherein each said first staple driver operably supports two said surgical staples.

13. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 wherein the formed heights of the surgical staples in one said linear row of said at least two linear rows differs from other formed heights of the surgical staples in the other said linear row of said at least two linear rows of staples on a same lateral side of the elongate slot.

14. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 13 wherein a formed height of each of the surgical staples in each said linear row differs from the formed heights of the staples in the other said linear rows on a same side of the elongate slot.

15. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 wherein the at least two linear rows of surgical staples configured to be ejected by said plurality of first staple drivers on one side of said elongate slot are closer to the elongate slot than the other said linear row of other surgical staples configured to be ejected by said plurality of second staple drivers on a same side of the elongate slot.

16. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 wherein all of the surgical staples and other surgical staples have substantially the same unformed size and shape.

17. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 wherein a number of first staple drivers on one side of the elongate slot exceed a number of second staple drivers on a same side of the elongate slot.

18. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 11 further comprising a wedge sled supported within said cartridge body for driving contact with each of the first and second staple drivers upon application of a firing motion thereto.

19. A surgical stapling device, comprising:

a firing system for generating firing motions;

a closure system for generating opening and closing motions;

an implement portion operably interfacing with the firing and closure systems, the implement portion comprising;

an elongate channel operably interfacing with the firing and closure systems and configured to support a staple cartridge therein;

an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and being movable between open and closed positions relative to the elongate channel in response to closure and opening motions from the closure system;

a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally movable within the elongate channel in response to firing motions applied thereto by the firing system; and

a staple cartridge comprising;

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 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.

20. The surgical stapling device of claim 19 wherein each said first staple driver supports at least two of said staples thereon.

21. A surgical stapling system, comprising:

a firing system configured to generate a firing motion; and

an implement portion configurable in an open configuration and a clamped configuration, said implement portion comprising;

a distal end;

an anvil comprising a staple forming portion;

a firing member including a distally presented cutting edge movable toward said distal end in response to said firing motion generated by said firing system; and

a staple cartridge, comprising;

a cartridge body comprising a non-planar deck surface configured to confront said staple forming portion of said anvil; and

a plurality of staple drivers movably supported within said cartridge body, wherein said staple drivers are sequentially movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position by said firing member, wherein said staple drivers comprise;

a first longitudinal row of first staple support cradles, wherein each said first staple support cradle is configured to support a first staple thereon, wherein said first staple support cradles are located a first staple forming distance from a first corresponding portion of said staple forming portion that corresponds to said first staple support cradles when said implement portion is in said clamped configuration; and

a second longitudinal row of second staple support cradles, wherein each said second staple support cradle is configured to support a second staple thereon, wherein said second staple support cradles are located a second staple forming distance from a second corresponding portion of said staple forming portion that corresponds to said second staple support cradles when said implement portion is in said clamped configuration, and wherein said second staple forming distance differs in magnitude from said first staple forming distance.