Small diameter endoscopic stapler

• US 9,848,874 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kostrzewski, Stanislaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Tawfik, Sameh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Tanzim
• Application Number:
  US14/180,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07257 characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft

Abstract

A surgical stapler is described herein which includes a shaft portion and a tool assembly supported on a distal end of the shaft portion. The too assembly includes an anvil and a cartridge body which rotatably supports a plurality of staples within notches. At least one firing cam is provided to sequentially to engage and rotate each of the staples to fire the staples from the cartridge body. In embodiments, the cartridge body includes two spaced legs which support two linear rows of staples. Each of the spaced legs of the cartridge body is supported within one of a first and a second cartridge channel. The cartridge channels are fixed to opposite sides of a pivot member which is pivotally supported at a distal end of the shaft portion between the shaft portion and the tool assembly such that translation of the first and second cartridge channels in opposite directions effects articulation of the tool assembly in relation to the shaft portion.

Claims

1. A surgical stapler comprising:

a shaft portion

a tool assembly supported on a distal end of the shaft portion, the tool assembly including an anvil and a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly including a cartridge body having at least one leg defining a plurality of notches and a plurality of staples, each of the staples having a backspan and a pair of curved legs connected to the backspan, the backspan of each of the plurality of staples being rotatably supported within a respective notch of the plurality of notches; and

at least one firing cam including a distal end defining a cam member, the cam member being movable within the tool assembly into sequential engagement with each of the plurality of staples, wherein engagement between the cam member and a staple of the plurality of staples effects rotational movement of the staple to fire the staple from the cartridge body.

2. The surgical stapler according to claim 1, wherein each notch of the plurality of notches includes a cylindrical slot, the backspan of each of the plurality of staples being positioned within the cylindrical slot in a snap-fit manner.

3. The surgical stapler according to claim 2, wherein the cam member of the at least one firing cam includes a first cam surface and a second cam surface, the first cam surface being positioned to engage one curved leg of the pair of curved legs of each of the plurality of staples and the second cam surface being positioned to engage the other curved leg of the pair of curved legs of each of the plurality of staples.

4. The surgical stapler according to claim 1, wherein the at least one leg of the cartridge body includes two spaced legs, the plurality of notches being spaced axially along each of the two spaced legs, each of the plurality of notches rotatably supporting one staple of the plurality of staples.

5. The surgical stapler according to claim 4, further including first and second cartridge channels, each of the first and second cartridge channels having a distal end defining a U-shaped member, the two spaced legs of the cartridge body being secured within the U-shaped members.

6. The surgical stapler according to claim 5, wherein the at least one firing cam includes first and second firing cams, each of the cam members of the first and second firing cams having a U-shape and being positioned about one of the two spaced legs of the cartridge body and within the U-shaped member of one of the first and second cartridge channels.

7. The surgical stapler according to claim 6, further including a pivot member pivotably secured to the distal end of the shaft portion and fixedly secured to each of the first and second cartridge channels.

8. The surgical stapler according to claim 7, further including a first articulation link having a distal end secured to a proximal end of the first cartridge channel and a second articulation link secured to a proximal end of the second cartridge channel, the first and second articulation links being axially movable to effect axial movement of the first and second cartridge channels in relation to each other to pivot the pivot member in relation to the shaft portion.

9. The surgical stapler according to claim 8, further including a pivotable articulation member interconnecting the first articulation link to the second articulation link such that movement of the first articulation link in one direction effects movement of the second articulation link in an opposite direction.

10. A surgical stapler according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of curved legs of the plurality of staples is U-shaped and includes a proximal leg portion connected to the backspan and a distal leg portion having a tapered tip.

11. A surgical stapler according to claim 10, wherein the at least one leg of the cartridge body includes a plurality of dimples, each of the dimples being positioned to engage the proximal leg portion of one of the plurality of staples to stabilize the plurality of staples on the cartridge body.

12. A surgical stapler according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of staples are supported along the cartridge body such that the proximal leg portion of each staple of the plurality of staples is positioned to guide the distal leg portion of a proximally positioned adjacent staple of the plurality of staples as the proximally positioned adjacent staple is fired from the cartridge body.

13. A surgical stapler according to claim 12, wherein a distal-most staple of the plurality of staples is a dummy staple which is positioned to guide an adjacent proximal staple during firing but is not fired.