Curvilinear surgical staples
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorAnthony Sgroi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical staple includes a backspan and a pair of deformable legs extending from the backspan and terminating in a penetrating end. The backspan and deformable legs are formed from a wire having a curvilinear cross-section defining a major axis and a minor axis with a portion of the wire above the major axis defining a first curved surface and a portion of the wire below the major axis defining a second curved surface, and a portion of the wire to the left of the minor axis defining a third curved surface and a portion to the right of the minor axis defining a fourth curved surface being different than the first, second, and third curved surfaces. One or more of the curved surfaces is different than the remaining curved surfaces.
Claims12
A surgical staple comprising:
- a backspan;
- and
- a pair of deformable legs extending from the backspan and terminating in a penetrating end;
- wherein the backspan and deformable legs are formed from a wire having a curvilinear cross-section defining a major axis and a minor axis with a portion of the wire above the major axis defining a first curved surface having a first radius of curvature and a portion of the wire below the major axis defining a second curved surface having a second radius of curvature, a portion of the wire to the left of the minor axis defining a third curved surface having a third radius of curvature and a portion to the right of the minor axis defining a fourth curved surface having a fourth radius of curvature;
- and
- wherein the first and second curved surfaces are symmetric with respect to the major axis, the first radius of curvature being greater than the third radius of curvature, but less than the fourth radius of curvature.
A cartridge for use with a surgical stapler, the cartridge having a plurality of individual directionally biased surgical staples therein and associated pushers for ejecting the staples from the cartridge, each of the staples being supported within the cartridge in spaced relation from adjacent staples and each of the staples comprising:
- a backspan;
- and
- a pair of deformable legs extending from the backspan and terminating in a penetrating end;
- wherein the backspan and deformable legs are formed from a wire having a curvilinear cross-section defining a major axis and a minor axis with a portion of the wire above the major axis defining a first curved surface having a first radius of curvature and a portion of the wire below the major axis defining a second curved surface having a second radius of curvature, a portion of the wire to the left of the minor axis defining a third curved surface having a third radius of curvature and a portion to the right of the minor axis defining a fourth curved surface having a fourth radius of curvature;
- and
- wherein the first or second radius of curvature is greater than the third radius of curvature, but less than the fourth radius of curvature.
A cartridge including a plurality of individual surgical staples, each surgical staple having a pair of deformable legs and being deformable by contact of the legs with anvil pockets of an anvil, each of the staples being supported in spaced relation from adjacent staples within the cartridge and comprising:
- a backspan;
- and
- a pair of deformable legs extending from the backspan and terminating in a penetrating end;
- wherein the backspan and deformable legs are formed from a wire having a curvilinear cross-section defining a major axis and a minor axis with a portion of the wire above the major axis defining a first curved surface having a first radius of curvature and a portion of the wire below the major axis defining a second curved surface having a second radius of curvature, a portion of the wire to the left of the minor axis defining a third curved surface having a third radius of curvature and a portion to the right of the minor axis defining a fourth curved surface having a fourth radius of curvature, the curvilinear cross-section having a length extending along the major axis and a width extending along the minor axis, the length greater than the width;
- and
- wherein the first or second radius of curvature is greater than the third radius of curvature, but less than the fourth radius of curvature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.