Flexible annular stapler for closed surgery of hollow organs
First Claim
1. A flexible annular surgical stapler for stapling together two parts of hollow organs, the stapler comprising (a) an elongated flexible tubular body having two ends;
- (b) a handle attached to a first end of said body;
(c) a first jaw having an axial jaw hole therethrough and two faces, a first of said faces being attached to the second end of said body;
(c) a flexible cable slidably disposed inside said body and through said jaw hole, said cable consisting of two portions, a first of said portions defining an end segment, at least part of which protrudes from the second of said faces of said first jaw; and
(d) a second jaw, forming a head, being attachable to said end segment;
said jaw hole having a non-circular cross-sectional shape and said end segment having a complementary cross-sectional shape such as to allow easy sliding of said end segment through said hole while keeping their mutual angular orientation about the axis of said hole fixed;
wherein one of said first and second jaws includes a hammer and the other of said first and second jaws includes an anvil.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A improved flexible annular stapler for joining annular organs (163, 164) is disclosed. The novel stapler features greater accuracy of operation and better control by the operator, as well as additional functions, such as internal illumination (76) and viewing facility (82), and accommodation of a large number of accessories, such as fibroscopes (90) and catheters. The novel stapler features easy attachability of both stapling jaws (18, 25) and easy detachability of the head (11). The novel features of the flexible stapler, and associated methods performed thereby, are particularly useful for closed surgery.
371 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A flexible annular surgical stapler for stapling together two parts of hollow organs, the stapler comprising
(a) an elongated flexible tubular body having two ends; -
(b) a handle attached to a first end of said body;
(c) a first jaw having an axial jaw hole therethrough and two faces, a first of said faces being attached to the second end of said body;
(c) a flexible cable slidably disposed inside said body and through said jaw hole, said cable consisting of two portions, a first of said portions defining an end segment, at least part of which protrudes from the second of said faces of said first jaw; and
(d) a second jaw, forming a head, being attachable to said end segment;
said jaw hole having a non-circular cross-sectional shape and said end segment having a complementary cross-sectional shape such as to allow easy sliding of said end segment through said hole while keeping their mutual angular orientation about the axis of said hole fixed;
wherein one of said first and second jaws includes a hammer and the other of said first and second jaws includes an anvil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17)
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10. A flexible annular surgical stapler for stapling together two parts of hollow organs, the stapler comprising
(a) an elongated flexible tubular body having two ends; -
(b) a handle attached to a first end of said body;
(c) a flexible cable slidably disposed inside said body having two ends, a first end being inside said handle; and
(d) a head attached to the second end of said cable and including an end cap;
said cable having, over its entire length, a passageway therethrough for insertion of one or more additional tools or parts thereof. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for joining two parts of hollow organs over an annular area defined on a plane in each of the two parts, whereby each part has an opening through the respective plane essentially inside the respective annular area, the method sequentially comprising the steps of
(a) providing a flexible annular stapler having two round jaws; -
(b) inserting said jaws into a first one of the two parts and advancing said jaws to where one jaw is inside the first part and the other jaw is inside the second one of the two parts, each jaw being substantially near the respective plane;
(c) for each of the two parts, shrinking the opening so as to form an at least partially closed butt that encloses the respective one of said jaws; and
(d) operating said annular stapler so as to pull the two said butts together and essentially combine the two annular areas into a combined annular area, to staple the two organs or segments to each other over said combined annular area and to cut away portions of said butts that are central to said combined annular area. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for joining two parts of hollow organs over an annular area defined on a plane in each of said two organs or segments, the method comprising the steps of
(a) providing a flexible annular stapler having a flexible body, two round jaws and a flexible cable slidable through said body and through a first one of said jaws and having an end protrudable from said first jaw, said second one of said jaws being attachable to said end of said cable, said second jaw being initially detached; -
(b) inserting said first one of said jaws into a first one of the two parts of hollow organs, advancing said first jaw to where it is inside the first part near the respective plane and causing said end of said cable to protrude from said first part;
(c) introducing said second jaw and attaching it to said end of said cable;
(d) having said second jaw inside the second one of the two parts of hollow organs and having each of the two parts form an at least partially closed butt at or near the respective plane, said butt enclosing the respective one of said jaws; and
(e) operating said annular stapler so as to pull said two butts together, to staple the two organs or segments to each other over the annular areas and to cut away portions of said butts that are central to the annular area. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37)
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35. A method for joining two parts of hollow organs over an annular area defined on a plane in each of the two parts, under conditions of closed surgery performed on a patient, the method comprising the steps of
(a) providing a flexible annular stapler having a flexible body, two round jaws and a flexible cable slidable through said body and through a first one of said jaws and having an end protrudable from said first jaw, the first one of said jaws being attachable to said body and the second one of said jaws being attachable to said end of said cable, both of said jaws being initially detached; -
(b) inserting said flexible body through the patient'"'"'s body wall;
(c) introducing said first jaw through the patient'"'"'s body wall and attaching it to said flexible body;
(d) introducing said second jaw through the patient'"'"'s body wall and attaching it to said end of said cable;
(e) having said first jaw inside the first one, and said second jaw inside the second one, of the two parts of hollow organs and having each of the two parts form an at least partially closed butt at or near the respective plane, said butt enclosing the respective one of said jaws; and
(f) operating said annular stapler so as to pull said two butts together, to staple the two organs or segments to each other over an annular area and to cut away portions of said butts that are central to said annular area. - View Dependent Claims (36, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification