Stapling apparatus having a curved anvil and driver

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

• a body;
• an elongate, fixed jaw part connected to said body and including a curvilinear anvil defining staple-forming pockets;
• an actuating jaw part including an at least partially curvilinear staple carrying unit and movable toward said fixed jaw part;
• displacement means for moving said actuating jaw part toward said fixed jaw part;
• and a handle assembly including a handle and a trigger movable relative to said handle, said trigger being coupled to said body for actuating jaw part upon movement relative to said handle, said handle assembly being oriented in a first plane which is substantially perpendicular to a second plane tangential to an arc formed by a staple line defined by said staple carrying unit at the mid-point of the staple line,
• said actuating jaw part being actuated by said trigger to cause said staple carrying unit to force staple blanks therein into said pockets of said anvil to thereby form staples in tissue retained in an opening defined by said fixed and actuating jaw parts.

An actuating portion of a surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

• a fixed jaw part including a non-linear anvil defining staple-forming pockets and two rigid, longitudinally extending struts aligning at one end with spaced apart locations on said anvil and thereby providing rigid longitudinal support for said anvil at two separate locations, said struts defining an opening there between;
• and
• an actuating jaw part including a non-linear staple driver having a plurality of tines adapted to align with staple blanks in a staple cartridge,
• said actuating jaw part being arranged to actuate and cause said tines of said staple driver to force the staple blanks into said pockets of said anvil to thereby form staples in tissue retained in said opening, said actuating jaw part further comprising a non-linear cutting knife arranged to amputate tissue retained in a cavity communicating with said opening,
• said cutting knife being arranged adjacent an inner surface of said actuating jaw part and said staple driver being arranged radially outward from said cutting knife such that staples are formed only radially outward relative to said cutting knife.

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:

• a body;
• an elongate, fixed jaw part connected to said body and including a curvilinear anvil defining staple forming pockets and defining an opening bound on lateral and longitudinal sides;
• an actuating jaw part including an at least partially curvilinear staple carrying unit and movable longitudinally relative to said fixed jaw part alongside said opening;
• a trigger coupled to said body for actuating said actuating jaw part;
• displacement means for moving said actuating jaw part to vary a longitudinal dimension of said opening;
• and
• a handle for said body arranged in a plane which intersects a plane which constitutes a base of an arc of said anvil and said staple carrying unit,
• said actuating jaw part being actuated by said trigger to cause said staple carrying unit to force staple blanks therein into said pockets of said anvil to thereby form staples in tissue retained in said opening,
• said staple carrying unit including a curved staple driver which is movable longitudinally on, along or over part of said fixed jaw part toward said anvil,
• said actuating jaw part further comprising a curvilinear cutting knife arranged to amputate tissue retained in a cavity communicating with said opening,
• said cutting knife being arranged adjacent an inner surface of said actuating jaw part and said staple driver being arranged radially outward from said cutting knife such that staples are formed only radially outward relative to said cutting knife.