Surgical stapling apparatus with locking mechanism
AssigneeTyco Healthcare Group LP
InventorStanislaw Marczyk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides for a loading unit for use with and/or supportable on a distal end of a surgical stapling apparatus. The loading unit includes a housing portion including a distal end and a proximal end, a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit, and a locking mechanism supported on the housing portion of the loading unit. The locking mechanism has a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly in a ready-to-load position relative to the housing portion of the loading unit. The locking mechanism is pivotable to a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion.
Claims19
A surgical apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a handle supported by the housing;
- and
- a loading unit supportable on a distal end of the housing, the loading unit including:
- a housing portion including a distal end and a proximal end;
- a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit;
- and
- a locking mechanism pivotally supported on the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism having a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly in a ready-to-load position relative to the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism being pivotable, in a plane substantially tangential to an outer surface of the housing portion, to a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion.
A loading unit for use with and/or supportable on a distal end of a surgical stapling apparatus, the loading unit comprising:
- a housing portion including a distal end and a proximal end;
- a drive assembly slidably supported within the housing portion of the loading unit;
- and
- a locking mechanism pivotally supported on the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism having a first position wherein the locking mechanism engages the drive assembly and maintains the position of the drive assembly in a ready-to-load position relative to the housing portion of the loading unit, the locking mechanism being pivotable, in a plane substantially tangential to an outer surface of the housing portion, to a second position wherein the locking mechanism disengages the drive assembly and enables the drive assembly to move relative to the housing portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.