US 5,071,430 A · Surgical instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument is disclosed for ablation of organs or parts of organs or for generally cutting and applying surgical clips to the organ or body tissue. The instrument includes an elongated body having a pair of pincer jaws connected to the distal end, one jaw being fixed, and the other jaw being pivotally mounted at its proximal end for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw for gripping body tissue therebetween. A camming tube is provided for retaining the jaws in the closed position to firmly grip tissue. The instrument includes a knife for cutting the organ, and a tool which carries a cam for propelling suture clips into the tissue. The jaws, the knife and the suture clip application tool are all controllable from the proximal end by the surgeon to facilitate remote control when the instrument is inserted into a trocar or other guide tube.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue which comprises:

a) a body having a distal end and a proximal end and defining an endoscopic portion at said distal end;
b) a pair of jaws positioned at said distal end of said body, a first jaw fixed with respect to said body and a second jaw pivotally mounted at the proximal end thereof for movement between an open position whereby at least the distal end of said second jaw is spaced from said first jaw and a closed position whereby said second jaw is in close cooperative alignment with said first jaw;
c) means for controlling the open and closed positions of said second jaw with respect to said first jaw from the proximal end of said body;
d) means positioned about at least a portion of said body and slidable between a proximal position whereby said second jaw may be pivoted to said open position with respect to said first jaw, and a distal position in close cooperative alignment at least with said second jaw whereby tissue positioned therebetween may be gripped by said jaws;
and
e) means associated with said body for applying surgical fastener means to body tissue gripped between said jaws.

3 more elements

A surgical instrument for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue which comprises:

a) an elongated body having a distal end and a proximal end and defining an endoscopic portion at said distal end;
b) a pair of pincer forming jaw connected to said distal end of said endoscopic portion, a first jaw having a frusto-conical surface portion at the proximal end and fixed with respect to said endoscopic portion and a second jaw having a frusto-conical surface portion at the proximal end and being mounted at the proximal end thereof for movement between an open position whereby at least the distal end of said second jaw is spaced from said first jaw and a closed position whereby said second jaw is in close cooperative alignment with said first jaw;
c) means for controlling the open and closed positions of said second jaw with respect to said first jaw from the proximal end of said body;
d) camming means positioned about at least a portion of said body and having a camming surface at the distal end thereof, said camming means being slidable between a proximal position whereby said second jaw may be moved to said open position with respect to said first jaw, and a distal position whereby said camming surface engages the proximal ends of said first and second jaws to cause said jaws to firmly pinch body tissue therebetween whereby tissue positioned therebetween may be firmly gripped by said jaws;
e) a knife movable between proximal and distal positions for cutting body tissue gripped between said jaws, said knife having means to control the position thereof from the proximal end of said elongated body;
and
f) means positioned within said body for applying surgical fastener means to body tissue gripped between said jaws.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical instrument

Life of this patent

Surgical instrument

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44