US 7,490,749 B2 · Surgical stapling and cutting instrument with manually retractable firing member

Abstract

A surgical stapling and severing instrument particularly suited to endoscopic procedures incorporates a handle that produces separate closing and firing motions to actuate an end effector. In particular, the handle produces multiple firing strokes in order to reduce the required amount of force required to fire (i.e., staple and sever) the end effector. A linked transmission reduces the required handle longitudinal length, yet achieves a rigid, strong configuration when straightened for firing. A traction biased firing mechanism avoids binding in driving this straightened linked rack. The instrument further has a manually actuatable retraction system that does not require the use of additional springs or other mechanisms to generate retraction forces which must be overcome when generating the forces necessary to fire the device. In various embodiments, the retraction system provides a visual indication to the surgeon as to how far firing has progressed.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a handle assembly;
an end effector for performing a surgical operation, said end effector operably coupled to said handle assembly and operably supporting a firing member that is movable from a retracted position to a fired position in response to a longitudinal firing motion applied thereto;
a firing drive supported by said handle assembly and configured to selectively generate said longitudinal firing motion upon actuation of a firing trigger operably coupled to said handle assembly;
and
a retraction assembly supported by said handle assembly and interfacing with said firing drive such that manual actuation of said retraction assembly causes said firing drive to generate a sole retraction motion which is communicated to said firing member to cause said firing member to move from said fired position to said retracted position.

2 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;
an end effector for performing a surgical operation, said end effector operably coupled to said handle assembly and operably supporting a firing member that is movable from a retracted position to a fired position in response to a longitudinal firing motion applied thereto and from said fired position to said retracted position upon application of a retraction motion thereto;
a linked rack operably supported by said handle assembly;
a firing rod communicating with said linked rack and said end effector for transmitting said firing and retraction motions from said linked rack to said end effector;
a firing trigger operably supported by said handle assembly and configured to interface with said linked rack such that actuation of said firing trigger causes said linked rack to apply said firing motion to said firing rod;
a first gear in meshing engagement with said linked rack;
and
a retraction lever movably supported by said handle assembly and configured to interface with said first gear such that actuation of said retraction lever applies a sole retraction motion to said first gear which thereby transfers said sole retraction motion to said linked rack.

5 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;
an end effector for performing a surgical operation, said end effector operably coupled to said handle assembly and operably supporting a firing member that is movable from a retracted position to a fired position in response to a longitudinal firing motion applied thereto and from said fired position to said retracted position upon application of a retraction motion thereto;
a first linked rack operably supported by said handle assembly;
a firing rod communicating with said linked rack and said end effector for transmitting said firing and retraction motions from said linked rack to said end effector;
a firing trigger operably supported by said handle assembly and configured to selectively interface with said linked rack such that actuation of said firing trigger causes said linked rack to apply said firing motion to said firing rod;
a second gear rack operably supported by said handle assembly;
a drive gear in meshing engagement with said first linked rack and said second gear rack;
and
a retraction lever movably coupled to said handle assembly and said second gear rack such that actuation of said retraction lever applies a sole retraction motion to said drive gear which thereby transfers said sole retraction motion to said linked rack.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical stapling and cutting instrument with manually retractable firing member

Life of this patent

Surgical stapling and cutting instrument with manually retractable firing member

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19