Gastrointestinal endoscoptic stapler

An intestinal steerable surgical stapler for stapling tubular tissue comprising:

• an anvil member having a ringed anvil stapling surface, and a ringed cutting block surface inwardly of said stapling surface;
• a head assembly having a staple driver for driving staples in an array corresponding to said anvil surface, and a cutting blade corresponding to said cutting block;
• means for operatively connecting said anvil member to said head assembly;
• a flexible tube having a distal end connected to said head assembly, and a handpiece end;
• steering means in said handpiece end and operatively connected to said head assembly, for pivoting said head assembly relative to said flexible tube, to thereby steer the head assembly in a body cavity;
• means for pulling said anvil member and said head assembly toward each other;
• and
• stapler activating means located at the handpiece end, and operatively connected to said anvil member and said head assembly, for driving staples from said head assembly toward said anvil member and for driving said cutting blade toward said cutting block, whereby two ends of tubular tissue may be joined by a ringed array of staples and excess tubular tissue ends may be trimmed off with the cutting blade.

An intestinal steerable endoscopic stapler for stapling tubular tissue comprising:

• an anvil member having a ringed anvil stapling surface, and a ringed cutting block surface inwardly of said stapling surface;
• a head assembly having a staple driver for driving staples in an array corresponding to said anvil surface, and a cutting blade corresponding to said cutting block;
• means for operatively connecting said anvil member to said head assembly;
• a flexible tube having a distal end connected to said head assembly and a handpiece end;
• scope means, in one of said anvil member and head assembly, for viewing, from said handpiece end, a region of space beyond said head assembly;
• steering means, in said handpiece end and operatively connected to said head assembly, for pivoting said head assembly relative to said flexible tube to thereby steer the head assembly in a body cavity;
• means for pulling said anvil member and said head assembly toward each other;
• and
• stapler activating means located at the handpiece end, and operatively connected to said anvil member and said head assembly, for driving staples from said head assembly toward said anvil member and for driving said cutting blade toward said cutting block, whereby two ends of tubular tissue may be joined by a ringed array of staples and excess tubular tissue ends may be trimmed off with the cutting blade.

An endoscopic surgical stapler comprising:

• (a) a stapler assembly which includes:
• (i) an anvil member which defines a tissue engaging surface, said tissue engaging surface including a plurality of anvil pockets;
• and
• (ii) a head assembly adapted to receive surgical staples within a plurality of staple slots, said head assembly defining a tissue contacting surface which is adapted to align with said tissue engaging surface;
• (b) moving means associated with said stapler assembly for moving said anvil member and said head assembly relative to one another between a first, spaced position in which said tissue engaging surface is spaced from said tissue contacting surface for receiving tissue therebetween, and a second approximated position in which said tissue engaging surface and said tissue contacting surface are in close cooperative alignment;
• (c) imaging means associated with one of said anvil member and said head assembly for obtaining an image of an interior body region;
• (d) an elongated member having a proximal and distal end, said stapler assembly being positioned at and cooperating with said distal end of said elongated member;
• and
• (e) a handpiece positioned at and cooperating with said proximal end of said elongated member, said handpiece including first control means operatively connected through said elongated member with said moving means for causing said anvil member and said head assembly to move between said first and second positions;
• second control means operatively connected through said elongated member with said head assembly for causing said surgical staples to be advanced from said staple slots toward said anvil pockets;
• and viewing means operatively connected through said elongated member with said imaging means for viewing said interior body region image.