Surgical stapling instrument and method thereof
AssigneeHearport, Inc.
InventorsLee R. Bolduc, Christopher F. Heck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stapler for stapling a tubular structure to another structure. The stapler has an anvil which is expandable from a collapsed position to an expanded position. The stapler has a recess which receives at least a portion of the tubular structure and a shoulder which receives an everted end of the tubular structure. A first actuator moves the anvil relative to the shoulder for compressing the structures which are to be stapled together. A second actuator is used for driving the staples through the structures to be stapled together.
Claims10
A method of attaching a graft to a body structure comprising the steps of:
- providing a stapler comprising a housing, the housing having a throughhole, a rod configured to be disposed at least partially within the throughhole, an anvil connected to a distal end of the rod, a staple pusher movably coupled to the housing, and configured to accept staples;
- loading the staple pusher with at least one staple;
- positioning the rod in a graft;
- placing at least a portion of the rod within the housing throughhole;
- inserting the anvil through an opening in a body structure to which the graft is to be stapled;
- and
- moving the staple pusher so that the staple pusher moves a portion of the at least one staple against the anvil.
A method of attaching a graft to a body structure, comprising the steps of:
- providing a stapler comprising a housing having a throughhole, a rod configured to be at least partially disposed within the housing throughhole, an anvil attached to the distal end of the rod, the anvil comprising a plurality of anvil segments movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position, a movable staple pusher operably connected to the housing the staple pusher being configured to drive a plurality of staples into contact with the anvil;
- positioning the rod in a graft;
- positioning at least a portion of the rod within the housing throughhole;
- loading the staple pusher with at least one staple;
- inserting the plurality of anvil segments through an opening in a body structure, the plurality of anvil segments being inserted into the body structure in the collapsed position;
- expanding the plurality of anvil segments to the expanded shape;
- and
- moving the staple pusher so that the staple pusher moves at least a portion of the at least one staple against one of the plurality of anvil segments to attach the graft to the body structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.