Articulated surgical instrument with improved firing mechanism

An articulated linear stapling instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures comprising:

• a handle;
• an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end of said shaft being coupled to said handle;
• a tip pivotally coupled to said distal end of said shaft for articulation at an articulation joint such that a longitudinally extending gap is defined between said shaft and said tip, said tip including two opposed jaws;
• one of said jaws removably receiving a staple cartridge, wherein the cartridge is supported in said one jaw distal to said articulation joint and has a sled;
• said sled being mounted in said cartridge for movement between a proximal, unfired position to a distal, fired position such that movement of said sled from its unfired to its fired position operatively causes staples to be ejected from said cartridge, wherein said sled has a surface on a proximal end thereof;
• a flexible compression drive cable extending from said shaft through said gap into said tip such that said cable bends through said gap in a plane of articulation when said tip is articulated, wherein said cable is slidably disposed in said shaft and tip for movement between a proximal position and a distal position and abuts at a distal end thereof against said proximal surface of said cartridge sled such that when said cable moves from its proximal to its distal position it moves said sled from its unfired to its fired position and when said cable returns to its proximal position from said distal position said sled remains in its fired position;
• and
• a flexible support attached at one end to said shaft and at another end to said tip, wherein said support is slidably attached to at least one of said shaft and tip, and extending through said articulation joint adjacent to said cable in said plane of articulation such that said support bends through said gap in said plane of articulation and said cable bends against said support when said tip is articulated in one direction from its aligned position.

In an articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures including a handle;

• an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the shaft being coupled to the handle;
• a tip pivotally coupled to the distal end of said shaft for articulation at an articulation joint;
• and a flexible compression drive member extending from the shaft into the tip;
• the improvement comprising:
• a gap extending longitudinally between the shaft and the tip;
• wherein the flexible drive member bends through said gap in a plane of articulation when the tip is articulated;
• and
• a flexible support attached at one end to the shaft and at another end to the tip, wherein said support is slidably attached to at least one of the shaft and tip, and extending through the articulation joint adjacent to the flexible drive member in said plane of articulation such that said support bends through said gap in said plane of articulation and the flexible drive member bends against said support when the tip is articulated in one direction from its aligned position.