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US 2020/0046354 A1Published application
Surgical stapler having locking articulation joint
AssigneeApplied Medical Resources Corporation
InventorsSteven E. Decker, Atal C. Patel, Erik D. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laparoscopic surgical stapler can include an articulation joint between an elongate shaft and a jaw assembly. The articulation joint can include a latch mechanism allowing a user to selectively allow the jaw assembly to be freely pivotable with respect to the elongate shaft in an unlatched configuration and positionable in an aligned position or one of several predetermined articulated positions in a latched configuration. The latch mechanism of the articulation joint is biased to the latched configuration and is operable in a ‘push-to-release’ manner.
Claims20
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end;
- a jaw assembly positioned at the distal end of the elongate shaft;
- an articulation joint coupling the elongate shaft to the jaw assembly, the articulation joint having an unlatched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotable with respect to the elongate shaft upon application of an external force to the jaw assembly and a latched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotally secured with respect to the elongate shaft;
- and
- a latch member comprising an elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end, the latch member longitudinally slidable within the elongate shaft with respect to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft between a proximal position in which the articulation joint is in the latched configuration and a distal position in which the articulation joint is in the unlatched configuration, and the distal end of the elongate member is positioned within the articulation joint in each of the proximal position and the distal position.
2 more elements
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end;
- a jaw assembly positioned at the distal end of the elongate shaft, the jaw assembly defining a jaw axis;
- an articulation joint coupling the elongate shaft to the jaw assembly, the articulation joint having an unlatched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotable with respect to the elongate shaft upon application of an external force to the jaw assembly and a latched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotally secured with respect to the elongate shaft, and the articulation joint comprising:
- a pivot pin pivotally coupling the jaw assembly to the elongate shaft, the pivot pin having a wedge profile;
- and
- an alignment spring spanning the wedge profile of the pivot pin, the alignment spring biasing the jaw axis into alignment with the longitudinal axis.
3 more elements
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an elongate shaft extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;
- a jaw assembly positioned at the distal end of the elongate shaft;
- and
- an articulation joint coupling the elongate shaft to the jaw assembly, the articulation joint having an unlatched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotable with respect to the elongate shaft upon application of an external force to the jaw assembly and a latched configuration in which the jaw assembly is pivotally secured with respect to the elongate shaft, and the articulation joint comprising a plurality of latch recesses, each latch recess having an open end and a closed end proximal the open end;
- and
- a latch member having a proximal end and a distal end, the latch member slidable between a proximal position in which the distal end of the latch member is positioned between the open end and the closed end of one of the latch recesses in engagement with the one of the latch recesses corresponding to the latched configuration of the articulation joint and a distal position distal of the open end of the one of the latch recesses and out of engagement with the plurality of latch recesses corresponding to the unlatched configuration of the articulation joint.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.