Stapling instrument having an anvil-carrying part of particular geometric shape

A surgical stapling apparatus, at least part of which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said stapling apparatus comprising:

• an anvil-carrying part including two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are deformed and
• a rod upon which said anvil-carrying part is mounted, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves;
• a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure;
• said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that a cutting plane passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, and wherein said cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising:

• a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried;
• means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument;
• a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed;
• and
• means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by the staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves;
• the intersection of the surface of the rod with the plane of the staple clinching grooves defining a closed geometric figure;
• said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves such that any cutting plane, other than the cutting plane parallel to said surface of said array of spaced staple clinching grooves, passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, which line of tangency lies within the plane of the staple clinching grooves, and which cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than said circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of staple clinching grooves.

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising:

• a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried;
• means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument;
• a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed;
• means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves;
• and
• a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure;
• said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that any cutting plane which passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.