Surgical stapler with discretely positionable distal tip

An apparatus comprising:

• a first jaw;
• and
• a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes:
• a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis;
• a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to the jaw body axis, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis;
• first and second stops configured to constrain the pivotable motion of the distal tip, the first stop positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and the second stop positioned to abut a second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position;
• and
• a spring proximal to the proximal protrusion and configured to exert a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a first direction so as to releasably bias the first portion of the distal tip against the first stop when in the first discrete position and exert the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a second direction, different from the first direction, so as to releasably bias the second portion against the second stop when in the second discrete position, wherein as the distal tip is transitioned from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions, the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion transitions from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions;
• and
• wherein the spring comprises a first spring arm having a proximal portion retained by the jaw body and a distal portion in contact with the proximal protrusion;
• and
• wherein the first spring arm comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, a distal portion of the lower surface being in contact with the proximal protrusion, the spring further comprising a second spring arm having a lower surface, a distal portion of which contacts a distal portion of the upper surface of the first spring arm under load, the first and second spring arms exerting a combined spring force against the proximal protrusion.

A method of pivoting a distal tip, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to a jaw body axis of a jaw body to which the distal tip is movably disposed at a distal end thereof, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis, the method comprising:

• exerting a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in one of a first or second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction, the second direction being substantially aligned with the second discrete position, so as to releasably bias, when the resilient force is exerted in the first direction, a first portion of the distal tip against one of a first stop integrally formed in a distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and, when the resilient force is exerted in the second direction, a second portion of the distal tip against a second stop, different from the first stop, integrally formed in the distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut the second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position;
• and
• transitioning the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions as the distal tip transitions from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first jaw;
• and
• a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes:
• a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis;
• a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable about a pivot axis, that extends transversely to the jaw body axis, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis;
• means for exerting a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in one of a first or second direction different from the first direction so as to, when the resilient force is exerted in the first direction, releasably bias a first portion of the distal tip against one of a first stop integrally formed in a distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and, when the resilient force is exerted in the second direction, releasably bias a second portion of the distal tip against a second stop, different from the first stop, integrally formed in the distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut the second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position;
• and
• means for transitioning the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions as the distal tip transitions from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions.