Staple cartridges for forming staples having differing formed staple heights
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorFrederick E. Shelton, IV
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied without the need to use different sizes of staples.
Claims20
A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil, wherein the anvil includes at least one tissue stop portion, and wherein the surgical staple cartridge comprises:
- a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface on the anvil when the surgical stapling instrument is moved to a closed position;
- a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a first surgical staple thereon;
- a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a second surgical staple thereon, wherein a proximal-most first driver and a proximal-most second driver are configured and positioned within the cartridge body such that at least a portion of one first surgical staple and at least a portion of one second surgical staple are located proximal to a distal end of the at least one tissue stop portion when the first and second surgical staples are driven into forming contact with the staple forming surface, wherein each first surgical staple comprises a first formed staple height, wherein each second surgical staple comprises a second formed staple height, wherein the first formed staple height and the second formed staple height are different;
- and
- a longitudinal row of said plurality of first staple drivers and said plurality of second staple drivers.
A surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that includes an anvil, wherein the anvil includes at least one tissue stop portion, and wherein the surgical staple cartridge comprises:
- a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in a cartridge supporting portion of the surgical stapling instrument to confront a staple forming surface of the anvil when the surgical stapling instrument is moved to a closed position;
- and
- a longitudinal row of staple drivers, comprising:
- a plurality of first staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a first surgical staple thereon;
- and
- a plurality of second staple drivers movably supported within the cartridge body, each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a second surgical staple thereon, wherein the plurality of second staple drivers comprises a proximal-most second staple driver configured and positioned within the cartridge body such that at least a portion of the second surgical staple supported by the proximal-most second staple driver is located proximal to a distal end of the at least one tissue stop portion when the second surgical staple supported by the proximal-most second staple driver is driven into forming contact with the staple forming surface, wherein each first surgical staple comprises a first formed staple height, wherein each second surgical staple comprises a second formed staple height, and wherein the first formed staple height and the second formed staple height are different.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.