Electro-mechanical surgical instrument with closure system and anvil alignment components

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• a control handle;
• an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein;
• an anvil having a pair of trunnions protruding therefrom, each said trunnion received in a corresponding elongate pivot hole formed in said elongate channel to pivotally couple said anvil to said elongate channel, said trunnions defining a pivot axis about which said anvil may selectively pivot relative to said elongate channel between open and closed positions, said elongate pivot holes sized relative to said trunnions to facilitate axial travel of said pivot axis within said elongate pivot holes;
• and
• a closure wedge supported on a drive member that operably extends into a portion of said elongate channel and being configured to coact with said anvil, said drive member controlled by a control system in said control handle and being axially movable relative to said elongate channel such that upon application of a closing motion to said drive member, said drive member causes said closure wedge to pull the entire- said anvil relative to said elongate channel to cause said anvil to move to a closed position wherein said anvil is aligned relative to said elongate channel and upon application of an opening motion to said drive member said closure wedge causes said anvil to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel.

A surgical cuffing and fastening instrument comprising:

• control means;
• means for supporting a cartridge, said means for supporting attached to said control means;
• an anvil having a pair of trunnions protruding therefrom, each said trunnion received in a corresponding elongate pivot hole formed in said means for supporting to pivotally couple said anvil to said means for supporting, said trunnions defining a pivot axis that is substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis, said elongate pivot holes sized relative to said trunnions to facilitate axial travel of said pivot axis within said elongate pivot holes such that the entire said anvil is axially and laterally movable relative to said means for supporting and selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said means for supporting;
• and
• drive means supported in said means for supporting, said drive means selectively pulling the entire said anvil relative to said elongate channel to cause said anvil to close and move to an aligned position relative to said means for supporting and selectively applying an opening force to said anvil to cause said anvil to move to an open position relative to said means for supporting.

A surgical cuffing and fastening instrument comprising:

• a control handle;
• an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein, said elongate channel having a pair of oversized pivot holes defined therein;
• an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel within said oversized pivot holes such that the entire said anvil is axially and laterally movable relative to said elongate channel and selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel;
• a drive shaft configured to receive rotary motion from a motor in said control handle;
• a drive gear engagably and disengagably journaled on said drive shaft;
• a knife assembly threaded on a knife screw that is rotatably supported within said elongate channel;
• a transfer gear in meshing engagement with said drive gear and a knife screw gear on said knife screw;
• and
• a closure nut movably supported in said channel and responsive to separate opening and closing motions from said drive system, said closure nut configured to coact with said anvil such that upon receiving a closing motion from said drive system, said closure nut pulls the entire said anvil relative to said elongate channel to cause said anvil to close and axially move to an aligned position relative to said elongate channel and upon application of an opening motion to said closure nut, said closure nut causes said anvil to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel.

A surgical cuffing and fastening instrument comprising:

• a control handle;
• an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein, said elongate channel having a pair of oversized pivot holes defined therein;
• an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel within said oversized pivot holes such that said anvil is axially and laterally movable relative to said elongate channel and selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel;
• and
• a closure wedge supported on a drive member that operably extends into a portion of said elongate channel and being configured to coact with said anvil, said drive member controlled by a control system in said control handle and being axially movable relative to said elongate channel such that upon application of a closing motion to said drive member, said drive member axially moves in a proximal direction to cause said closure wedge to apply a pulling force to said anvil to cause said anvil to move to a closed position wherein said anvil is aligned relative to said elongate channel and, upon application of an opening motion to said drive member, said closure wedge causes said anvil to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel;
• a knife assembly movably supported on an elongated knife screw rotatably supported within said elongate channel;
• a drive gear on said drive member oriented to transmit rotation to said knife screw upon application of said closure force to said drive member to cause said drive member to axially move to a closed position,
• a knife screw gear on said knife screw;
• and
• a transfer gear in meshing engagement with said knife screw gear and oriented for selective meshing engagement with said drive gear when said drive member has moved to said closed position.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• a control handle;
• an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein, said elongate channel defining a longitudinal axis;
• an anvil having a pair of trunnions protruding therefrom, each said trunnion received in a corresponding elongate pivot hole formed in said elongate channel to pivotally couple said anvil to said elongate channel, said trunnions defining a pivot axis that is substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis, said elongate pivot holes sized relative to said trunnions to facilitate axial travel of said pivot axis within said elongate pivot holes and said anvil is selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel;
• and
• a drive system operably supported in said elongate channel and configured to selectively apply separate opening and closing motions to said anvil such that, upon receiving a closing motion from said drive system, said anvil is caused to close and axially move to an aligned position relative to said elongate channel and upon application of said opening motion to anvil, said anvil is caused to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• a control handle;
• an elongate channel coupled to said control handle and sized to support a cartridge therein, said elongate channel having a pair of oversized pivot holes defined therein;
• an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel by a pair of trunnion tabs formed on a proximal end of said anvil and received within corresponding said oversized pivot holes in said elongate channel such that said trunnion tabs are axially and laterally movable therein and said anvil is axially and laterally movable relative to said elongate channel and selectively pivotable between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel;
• a drive system operably supported in said elongate channel;
• and
• a closure nut movably supported in said channel and responsive to separate opening and closing motions from said drive system, said closure nut configured to coact with said anvil such that upon receiving a closing motion from said drive system, said closure nut pulls said anvil to cause said anvil to close and axially move to an aligned position relative to said elongate channel and upon application of an opening motion to said closure nut, said closure nut causes said anvil to move to an open position relative to said elongate channel.