Surgical instrument having an articulated jaw structure and a detachable knife

A surgical instrument with articulated jaw structure for capturing tissue of a body, the surgical instrument comprising:

• a frame having an outer end;
• a first jaw having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion of the first jaw extending from the outer end of the frame;
• a second jaw having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion of the second jaw extending from the outer end of the frame;
• one of said first and second jaws adapted to receive a staple cartridge for holding a plurality of staples adapted to be inserted in the tissue;
• the proximal portions of the first and second jaws mounted to each other for movement in a substantially parallel relation at least partially during movement between a fully open position wherein the distal portions of the jaws are separated for receiving tissue therebetween and an approximated position wherein the distal portions of the jaws are closer together for capturing said tissue;
• at least one of said jaws being further moveable between an extended position when the at least one of said jaws is moved distally with respect to the frame and the jaws are in one of the fully open and approximated positions, and a retracted position when at least one of said jaws is moved proximally with respect to the frame and the jaws are in the other of the fully open and approximated positions;
• and
• an actuating mechanism connected to the at least one of said jaws being further movable, the actuating mechanism and the at least one of said jaws being axially movable to move the jaws between the open and approximated positions.

A endoscopic surgical instrument with articulated jaw structure, the surgical instrument comprising:

• a handle portion;
• an elongated endoscopic body portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis, the body portion being axially fixed with respect to the handle portion;
• first and second jaw members connected to each other for movement between open and closed positions, and extending from a distal end of the elongated body portion, the first jaw member having a staple cartridge;
• an actuating member connected to one of the first and second jaw members, the actuating member being movable to move at least one of the first and second jaw members axially to move the jaw members between the open and closed positions;
• and
• wherein the jaw members are in the open position when the at least one of the jaw members and the actuating member are moved distally with respect to the elongated body portion and the jaw members are in the closed position when at least one of the jaw members and the actuating member are moved proximally with respect to the elongated body portion.

An endoscopic surgical instrument comprising:

• a handle portion;
• an endoscopic body portion fixed relative to the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a pair of juxtaposed jaw members remotely actuable from the handle portion and mounted for reciprocal longitudinal movement relative to the body portion and the handle portion between a first position wherein the jaws are in spaced relation and a second position wherein the jaws are in close relation, one of said jaw members being adapted to receive a staple cartridge for supporting a plurality of staples.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a handle portion;
• a body portion fixed to the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis;
• a tool portion remotely actuable from the handle portion, the tool portion having an anvil jaw and a cartridge jaw containing a cartridge with staples, the cartridge jaw being mounted for reciprocal longitudinal movement relative to the body portion and handle portion between a first position wherein the jaws are in a closed position and a second position wherein the jaw members are in an open position;
• an actuating mechanism connected to the cartridge jaw, the actuating mechanism being movable to move the jaws between the open and the closed positions;
• and
• a firing mechanism actuable from the handle portion to fire the staples from the cartridge jaw when the jaws are in the closed position.

An endoscopic surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongated body portion defining a longitudinal axis;
• a distal tool portion having first and second jaw members and extending from a distal end of the elongated body portion, a proximal end of at least one of the jaw members having at least one camming slot, a distal end of one of the jaw members having a staple supply;
• an actuating portion having at least one bearing post slidably engageable by the at least one camming slot, the actuating portion being longitudinally movable with respect to the elongated body portion to effect longitudinal movement of at least one of the jaw members with respect to the elongated body portion;
• and
• wherein the jaw members open and close in response to the longitudinal movement.

An endoscopic surgical instrument comprising:

• a handle portion;
• an endoscopic body portion fixed to the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis;
• an actuation assembly disposed at least partially in the body portion and actuable by the handle portion;
• and
• a pair of juxtaposed jaw members connected to the actuation assembly and remotely actuable by the actuation assembly from the handle portion to move at least one of the jaw members longitudinally with respect to the body portion and the handle portion to sequentially move the jaw members to a first predetermined degree of approximation and subsequently to a second progressive predetermined degree of approximation, one of said jaw members being adapted to receive a staple cartridge for holding a plurality of staples.