Surgical stapler with apparatus for adjusting staple height
First Claim
1. A surgical stapler, comprising:
- a handle;
a staple cartridge channel configured to receive a staple cartridge; and
an anvil assembly, comprising;
an anvil channel;
an anvil plate comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and
an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil channel and said anvil plate, wherein said adjustment member has a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, wherein said second thickness is different than said first thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first portion and said second portion intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil plate,wherein said adjustment member has a third portion having a third thickness, wherein said third thickness is different than said first thickness and said second thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable into a third position to position said third portion intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil plate.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapling instrument including a staple sled which can be advanced and/or retracted relative to first and second jaw members, wherein the staple sled can be configured to deploy staples from a staple cartridge in one of the first and second jaw members. In at least one embodiment, the other of the first and second jaw members can include an anvil having at least one forming surface which can be configured to deform the staples as they are deployed from the staple cartridge. In at least one form of the invention, the anvil can be movably adjustable relative to the staple cartridge in order to adjust the distance in which the staples are deformed. In various embodiments, the anvil can be adjusted by a slidable adjusting plate and/or a rotatable cam.
2134 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a handle; a staple cartridge channel configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil channel; an anvil plate comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil channel and said anvil plate, wherein said adjustment member has a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, wherein said second thickness is different than said first thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first portion and said second portion intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil plate, wherein said adjustment member has a third portion having a third thickness, wherein said third thickness is different than said first thickness and said second thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable into a third position to position said third portion intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a handle; a staple cartridge channel configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil channel; an anvil plate comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil channel and said anvil plate, wherein said adjustment member has a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, wherein said second thickness is different than said first thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first portion and said second portion intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil plate, wherein said anvil plate is movably retained to said anvil channel, and wherein one of said anvil channel and said anvil plate includes at least one retention pin extending therefrom, wherein the other of said anvil channel and said anvil plate includes at least one retention slot, and wherein said retention pin is slidably positioned within said retention slot such that said anvil plate can slide relative to said anvil channel along a predetermined path.
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5. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a handle; a staple cartridge channel configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, said anvil assembly comprising; an anvil channel; an anvil comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil channel and said anvil, wherein said adjustment member has a first step having a first height and a second step having a second height, wherein said second height is different than said first height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first step and said second step intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil, wherein said adjustment member has a third step having a third height, wherein said third height is different than said first height and said second height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable into a third position to position said third step intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a handle; a staple cartridge channel configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, said anvil assembly comprising; an anvil channel; an anvil comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil channel and said anvil, wherein said adjustment member has a first step having a first height and a second step having a second height, wherein said second height is different than said first height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first step and said second step intermediate said anvil channel and said positioning surface of said anvil, wherein said anvil is movably retained to said anvil channel; and wherein one of said anvil channel and said anvil includes at least one retention pin extending therefrom, wherein the other of said anvil channel and said anvil includes at least one retention slot, and wherein said retention pin is slidably positioned within said retention slot such that said anvil can slide relative to said anvil channel along a predetermined path.
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9. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a staple cartridge attachment portion configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil frame; an adjustable anvil portion comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil frame and said adjustable anvil portion, wherein said adjustment member comprises; a first portion comprising a first thickness; a second portion comprising a second thickness; and a third portion comprising a third thickness, wherein said second thickness is different than said first thickness, wherein said third thickness is different than said first thickness and said second thickness, wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first portion and said second portion intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface, and wherein said adjustment member is movable into a third position to position said third portion intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a staple cartridge attachment portion configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil frame; an adjustable anvil portion comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface, wherein said adjustable anvil portion is movably retained to said anvil frame; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil frame and said adjustable anvil portion, wherein said adjustment member comprises a first portion comprising a first thickness and a second portion comprising a second thickness, wherein said second thickness is different than said first thickness, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first portion and said second portion intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface, wherein said anvil frame comprises a first guide portion, wherein said adjustable anvil portion comprises a second guide portion operably engaged with said first guide portion, and wherein said first guide portion and said second guide portion are configured to permit relative sliding movement between said adjustable anvil portion and said anvil frame. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a staple cartridge attachment portion configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil frame; an anvil comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil frame and said anvil, wherein said adjustment member comprises; a first step comprising a first height; a second step comprising a second height, wherein said second height is different than said first height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first step and said second step intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface; and a third step comprising a third height, wherein said third height is different than said first height and said second height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable into a third position to position said third step intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A surgical stapler, comprising:
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a staple cartridge attachment portion configured to receive a staple cartridge; and an anvil assembly, comprising; an anvil frame; an anvil comprising a positioning surface and a staple forming surface, wherein said anvil is movably retained to said anvil frame; and an adjustment member movably positionable intermediate said anvil frame and said anvil, wherein said adjustment member comprises a first step comprising a first height and a second step comprising a second height, wherein said second height is different than said first height, and wherein said adjustment member is movable between a first position and a second position to selectively position one of said first step and said second step intermediate said anvil frame and said positioning surface, wherein said anvil frame comprises a first guide portion, wherein said anvil comprises a second guide portion operably engaged with said first guide portion, and wherein said first guide portion and said second guide portion are configured to permit relative sliding movement between said anvil and said anvil frame. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification