US 5,074,454 A · Surgical stapler

Abstract

A surgical instrument for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue has a pair of juxtaposed beam members with forward portions that jointly define a thin gap in which the tissue may be received and clamped. A latch couples the beam members together at a location behind the tissue gap. Operation of a first actuator forces staples out of one of the beam members and into the tissue, the other beam member having indentations shaped to close the staples. A tensioner flexes the beam members to create internal stresses which resist spreading of the beam member tips in response to load forces that are exerted on the members by clamped tissue and the stapling operation. This assures that the gap has a uniform width along its length and thus assures that the successive staples are each formed into an optimum configuration. The tensioner is actuated prior to and independently of operation of the first actuator and thus does not require exertion of additional effort nor interfere with tactile feedback to the surgeon during the stapling operation.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said forward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue in response to movement of a firing means actuator, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentation shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for flexing and prestressing said beam members prior to operation of said firing means to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent spreading of said front ends thereof by the load forces exerted on said beam members, and
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means prior to and independently of movement of said firing means actuator.

A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said foward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentations shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for resisting spreading of said front ends of said beam members by load forces exerted thereon which tensioning means flexes said beam members to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent said spreading of said front ends thereof,
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means independently of actuation of said firing means,
further including means for holding said first and second beam members together at said intermediate regions thereof and wherein said tensioning means urges said back ends of said beam members away from each other,
further including a register pin secured to one of said beam members at a location behind said intermediate region thereof and wherein said tensioning means includes a projection extending toward said register pin from the other of said beam members at a location behind said intermediate region thereof, a sleeve slidable along said projection and having a slot in which said register pin seats, a first toggle member mounted on said other beam member and being turnable about an axis of rotation that is orthogonal to said projection and a toggle link having one end pivotably coupled to said sleeve and an opposite end which is pivotably coupled to said first toggle member at a location offset from said axis of rotation thereof.

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A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said forward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentations shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for resisting spreading of said front ends of said beam members by load forces exerted thereon which tensioning means flexes said beam members to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent said spreading of said front ends thereof,
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means independently of actuation of said firing means,
further including means for holding said first and second beam members together at said intermediate regions thereof and wherein said tensioning means urges said back ends of said beam members away from each other,
further including a register pin secured to one of said beam members at a location behind said intermediate region thereof and wherein said tensioning means includes a projection extending towards said register pin from the other of said beam members at a location behind said intermediate region thereof, a sleeve slidable along said projection and having a slot in which said register pin seats and having a first threaded passage, said other beam member having a second threaded passage aligned with said first threaded passage, one of said threaded passages having right hand threads and the other of said passages having left hand threads, further including a screw having opposite ends extending into each of said passages and having right hand threads at one end that engage with said threads of said one passage and left hand threads at the other end that engage with said threads of said other passage whereby turning of said screw in a predetermined direction forces said back ends of said beam members apart.

1 more element

A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said foward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentations shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for resisting spreading of said front ends of said beam members by load forces exerted thereon which tensioning means flexes said beam members to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent said spreading of said front ends thereof,
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means independently of actuation of said firing means,
wherein said first and second beam members have a non-linear configuration which causes said beam members to be convergent towards said front ends thereof and to also be convergent towards said back ends thereof when said beam members are in an unstressed condition, and wherein actuation of said tensioning means draws said intermediate regions of said beam members closer together to flex said beam members into a substantially linear configuration and a substantially parallel relationship.

A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said foward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentations shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for resisting spreading of said front ends of said beam members by load forces exerted thereon which tensioning means flexes said beam members to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent said spreading of said front ends thereof,
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means independently of actuation of said firing means, and
wherein one of said beam members has a pair of pins which extend outward therefrom at opposite sides of said intermediate region thereof and wherein said tensioning means includes a lever pivoted to the other of said beam members at said intermediate region thereof and which is pivotable between first and second positions, said lever having cam fingers at each side of said beam members which are shaped to engage said pins and latch said intermediate regions of said beam members together as said lever is pivoted from said first positions thereof to said second position thereof, and
wherein said lever is angled relative to said beam members when at said first position and is substantially parallel to said beam members and extends along the back end regions thereof when at said second position, further including a pair of toggle links situated at opposite sides of said beam members, each of said links having a first end pivoted to said one beam member at a first location therealong and an opposite end pivoted to said lever at a second location which is further away from said beam members and situated more rearwardly therealong than said first location when said lever is at said second position whereby said tensioning of said beam members acts to resist movement of said lever away from said second position thereof.

1 more element

A surgical stapler for implanting one or more rows of staples in living tissue, said stapler having first and second beam members each having a front end and a back end and an intermediate region situated therebetween, said beam members further having forward portions situated between said front ends and said intermediate regions which are juxtaposed to jointly define a gap in which said tissue may be received and clamped, said foward portion of said first beam member having means for receiving at least one row of staples and firing means for forcing said staples out of said receiving means and into said tissue, said forward portion of said second beam member having indentations shaped to close said staples as said staples are forced through said tissue, wherein the improvement comprises:

tensioning means for resisting spreading of said front ends of said beam members by load forces exerted thereon which tensioning means flexes said beam members to create stress forces therein that urge said front ends of said beam members towards each other with sufficient force to prevent said spreading of said front ends thereof,
means for selectively actuating said tensioning means independently of actuation of said firing means, and
wherein one of said beam members has a pair of latching elements which extend outward therefrom at opposite sides of said intermediate region thereof and wherein said tensioning means includes a show slidable along the other of said beam members between said intermediate region and said back end thereof, said shoe having a pair of cam fingers situated at opposite sides of said beam members shaped to engage said latching elements and to draw said intermediate regions of said beam members together as said shoe is slid forward to said intermediate region,
further including a latching lever having an end pivoted to said shoe by a first pivot coupling and a toggle link having a front end pivoted to said lever by a second pivot coupling and an opposite end pivoted to said other beam member by a third pivot coupling situated reawardly from said intermediate region of said other beam member, said lever and link being pivotable into alignment with each other as said shoe is engaged with said latching elements, said second pivot coupling being located above the level of said first and third pivot couplings when said lever and link are in alignment.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical stapler

Life of this patent

Surgical stapler

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18