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US 12,004,745 B2Granted
Surgical instrument system comprising an end effector lockout and a firing assembly lockout
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Gregory J. Bakos, Jason L Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Surgical stapling instruments are disclosed comprising a staple cartridge, a firing member, and a cartridge lockout configured to prevent the firing member from being advanced through the staple cartridge if the staple cartridge has been already spent. The stapling instruments further comprise a lockout in the shaft that responds to the cartridge lockout blocking the firing member.
Claims11
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a firing assembly movable through a firing stroke, the firing assembly including a firing rod having a lock notch defined therein;
- an end effector comprising a staple cartridge, wherein said staple cartridge comprises:
- a cartridge body including a longitudinal slot, wherein at least a portion of the firing assembly is configured to travel within the longitudinal slot during the firing stroke;
- staples removably stored in said cartridge body;
- and
- a sled movable within the longitudinal slot between a proximal unfired position and a distal fired position to eject said staples from said cartridge body during said firing stroke;
- a spent cartridge lockout comprising a clip having a mounting end mounted to the cartridge body and a lock end deflectable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the lock end extends into the longitudinal slot of the cartridge body when lock end is deflected into the locked position to block said firing assembly from performing said firing stroke if said sled is not in said proximal unfired position at the initiation of said firing stroke;
- and
- a firing force lockout system different from the spent cartridge lockout and configured to assist said spent cartridge lockout in preventing said firing assembly from performing said firing stroke when said firing assembly is blocked by said spent cartridge lockout, wherein said firing force lockout system comprises a deployable lock that is moved from an undeployed position into a deployed position in response to said firing assembly being blocked by said spent cartridge lockout during the firing stroke and wherein, when in the deployed position, a lock shoulder of the deployable lock engages the lock notch of the firing rod of the firing assembly.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.