Surgical stapler and cartridge

A stapler and cartridge for joining together layers of body tissue comprising:

• a pair of jaws;
• a pair of handles for bringing together said pair of jaws to join together layers of body tissue with a plurality of staples;
• means for opening and closing said jaws in increments to properly position said jaws on said body tissue before joining said body tissue with said staples;
• and a disposable cartridge for storing said plurality of staples detachably retained in one of said jaws, said cartridge comprised of:
• a staple retaining member for storing said plurality of staples, said staple retaining member having a plurality of slotted openings for storing said staples, each of said openings having end portions for receiving side portions of said staples and enlarged center portions;
• and a staple unloading member, in telescopic relationship with said staple retaining member, said staple unloading member having a plurality of blades for forcing said staples through said layers of body tissue and clinching said staples when said handles are brought together, said staple unloading member being in partial telescopic relationship with said slotted openings before forcing said staples and in fully engaged relationship with said slotted openings for discharging and clinching said staples.

A stapler and cartridge for joining together body tissue comprising:

• a pair of pivotally connected handles for manually opening and closing a pair of jaws;
• a pair of pivotally connected jaws operably connected to said handles, said jaws being selectively movable apart from each other and toward each other, one of said jaws having a terminal end portion for retaining a cartridge having a plurality of staples and the other of said jaws having a terminal anvil end portion for clinching end portions of said staples;
• a cartridge retained to said cartridge retaining terminal end portion in fixed relationship to said terminal end portion and having a plurality of staples arranged in rows;
• and a means for opening and closing said jaws in small increments to properly position said jaws on said body tissue before joining said body tissue with said staples.