Surgical stapler with anvil sensor and lockout

A cartridge for use with a surgical stapler which includes a replaceable anvil having specially shaped surfaces for forming staples, a cartridge retention portion and an anvil retention portion for receiving said replaceable anvil, said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion being relatively movable between a closed position in which said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion are in closely spaced relationship for clamping tissue to be stapled therebetween and an open position in which said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion are spaced farther from each other than in the closed position, said cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge housing for enclosing staples, the cartridge retention portion being adapted to receive said cartridge housing;
• at least a portion of a firing assembly for firing staples, said firing assembly being movable between a pre-fired and a fired position;
• a blocking member;
• means mounting said blocking member on said cartridge housing for movement between a free-movement position which affords movement of said firing assembly between the pre-fired and fired positions and a blocking position which prevents said firing assembly from being moved from said pre-fired to said fired position;
• and
• said blocking member including a first surface for engaging said replaceable anvil to move said blocking member from said blocking position to said free-movement position when said replaceable anvil is received on said anvil retention portion and a second surface for engaging said firing assembly in said pre-fired position to prevent movement thereof toward said fired position when said blocking member is in said blocking position.

A surgical stapler comprising:

• a) a first elongated body portion supporting a cartridge, said cartridge including a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical staples and having a tissue contacting surface;
• b) a second elongated body portion supporting a replaceable anvil having a staple forming surface against which staples ejected from said cartridge housing are formed, said second body portion configured to mate with the first body portion to clamp tissue between the tissue contacting surface and the staple forming surface;
• c) a firing assembly supported within said second body portion and mounted for longitudinal movement therein between a pre-fired proximal position and a fired distal position;
• and
• d) a blocking member having first and second engaging surfaces and being pivotably mounted on the second body portion for movement between a first blocking position wherein the first engaging surface engages the firing assembly to prevent longitudinal movement thereof and a second non-blocking position wherein the second engaging surface engages the replaceable anvil when the replaceable anvil is received on an anvil retention portion of the second elongated body portion to allow longitudinal movement of the firing assembly.

A surgical stapler comprising:

• a) a first elongated body portion supporting a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical staples disposed in at least two parallel rows and having a tissue contacting surface provided thereon;
• b) a second elongated body portion supporting a replaceable anvil having a staple forming surface provided thereon against which staples ejected from the cartridge housing are formed, the second body portion configured to mate with the first body portion to clamp tissue between the tissue contacting surface and the staple forming surface;
• c) a firing assembly supported within said second body portion and mounted for longitudinal movement therein between a pre-fired proximal position and a fired distal position;
• and
• d) a rocker arm having a downwardly projecting engaging surface and an upwardly projecting engaging surface and being pivotably mounted on the cartridge housing between a first position wherein the downwardly projecting engaging surface engages the firing assembly to prevent longitudinal movement thereof and a second position wherein the upwardly projecting engaging surface engages the replaceable anvil when the replaceable anvil is received on an anvil retention portion of the second elongated body portion to allow longitudinal movement of the firing assembly.

A surgical stapler comprising:

• (a) a replaceable anvil having specially shaped surfaces for forming staples;
• (b) a cartridge retention portion and an anvil retention portion for receiving said replaceable anvil, said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion being relatively movable between a closed position in which said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion are in closely spaced relationship for clamping tissue to be stapled therebetween and an open position in which said cartridge retention portion and said anvil retention portion are spaced farther from each other than in the closed position;
• (c) a cartridge housing for enclosing staples, said cartridge retention portion being adapted to receive said cartridge housing;
• (d) a firing assembly for firing staples, said firing assembly being movable between a pre-fired and a fired position;
• (e) a blocking mechanism having first and second blocking members each mounted for pivotal movement between a free-movement position which affords movement of said firing assembly between the pre-fired and fired positions and a blocking position which prevents said firing assembly from being moved from said pre-fired to said fired position;
• and
• (f) said first blocking member including a first surface for engaging said replaceable anvil and a second surface for engaging said second blocking member to move said second blocking member from said blocking position to said free-movement position when said replaceable anvil is received on said anvil retention portion.