Surgical stapling apparatus having a wound closure material applicator assembly

• US 8,286,850 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Viola, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blatt, Eric
• Application Number:
  US12/786,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100230468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 606/214, 606/219, 606/220, 2271751-1821, 227/19
• US Class Current: 227/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• 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 2017/00495 for two-component glue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00893 pharmaceutically effective
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter

Abstract

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple anvil and a staple cartridge having a working surface, one or more rows of individual staple slots formed in the working surface, a knife track formed along a length of the working surface, and a plurality of surgical staples individually disposed within the individual staple slots. The apparatus further includes an actuation sled having a knife and being configured and adapted to movably position the knife axially within the knife track. The apparatus also includes a wound closure material applicator assembly having a needle secured to the knife to dispense a quantity of wound closure material along a length of the knife track as the actuation sled and knife are moved therealong.

Claims

1. A surgical stapling apparatus for joining body tissue, comprising:

a staple anvil having a knife track;

a staple cartridge adjacent the staple anvil, the staple cartridge and staple anvil being juxtaposable with one another, the staple cartridge including a plurality of surgical staples arranged in linear rows, the staple cartridge having a knife slot extending between two of the linear rows;

a staple actuator having at least one cam wedge for ejecting the staples;

a driving member for distally translating the staple actuator to eject the staples from the staple cartridge and drive the staples toward the anvil;

a knife blade arranged to translate distally along the linear rows of staples with the staple actuator; and

a wound closure material applicator assembly, including a conduit having a distribution tip defining an orifice, the conduit being attached to the staple actuator and arranged so that the orifice faces proximally, the wound closure material applicator assembly including a source of wound closure material.

2. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the staple cartridge defines at least two linear rows of staples on either side of the knife slot.

3. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the knife blade is attached to the staple actuator.

4. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the staple actuator has an upstanding shank for supporting the knife blade.

5. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has a plurality of apertures defined along a side of the conduit.

6. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of wound closure material includes a first reservoir having a first component of the wound closure material, and a second reservoir having a second component of the wound closure material.

7. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has a second distribution tip.

8. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clamping handle, the clamping handle being movable to move the staple cartridge and staple anvil into a clamping position.

9. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the staple actuator is removably attached to the driving member and contained in the staple cartridge, the staple cartridge being replaceable.

10. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of wound closure material is selected from the group consisting of a syringe and a compressible reservoir.