Surgical stapling and cutting device

A medical device, comprising:

• a control handle having:
• a stapling actuator;
• an articulation joint actuator different from said stapling actuator and having an unactuated state and an actuated state;
• and
• a body through which said stapling actuator and said articulation joint actuator traverse, said body defining a longitudinal axis;
• a surgical stapling end effector having:
• an anvil;
• a stapler cartridge having at least one staple;
• an anvil-cartridge control device operatively connected to said stapling actuator, said anvil, and said stapler cartridge and stapling said at least one staple when said stapling actuator is actuated;
• and
• an articulation lock;
• a passive articulating joint connecting said stapling end effector to said control handle and articulating about an articulation axis;
• a portion of said stapling actuator passing through said passive articulating joint and flexing in a corresponding manner to an articulation of said passive articulating joint;
• and
• no portion of said articulation joint actuator passing entirely through said passive articulating joint, said articulation joint actuator:
• when in said unactuated state, being connected to said articulation lock and, thereby, locking said passive articulation joint in a given articulated position to hold said end effector in position;
• and
• when in said actuated state, being disconnected from said articulation lock and, thereby, articulatingly releasing said passive articulation joint to articulate freely and solely dependent upon a force external to said medical device and applied to said end effector through direct contact with an exterior surface of said end effector.

A medical device, comprising:

• a control handle having:
• a stapling actuator;
• a pull-to-release and release-to-relock articulation joint actuator different from said stapling actuator and having a unactuated state in which said articulation joint actuator is at rest and an actuated state in which said articulation joint actuator is translated in a proximal direction;
• and
• a body through which said stapling actuator and said articulation joint actuator traverse, said body defining a longitudinal axis;
• a surgical stapling end effector having:
• an anvil;
• a stapler cartridge having at least one staple;
• an anvil-cartridge control device operatively connected to said stapling actuator, said anvil, and said stapler cartridge and stapling said at least one staple when said stapling actuator is actuated;
• and
• an articulation lock;
• a passive articulating joint connecting said stapling end effector to said control handle and articulating said stapling end effector about an articulation axis;
• a portion of said stapling actuator passing through said passive articulating joint and flexing in a corresponding manner to an articulation of said passive articulating joint;
• and
• no portion of said articulation joint actuator passing entirely through said passive articulating joint, said articulation joint actuator:
• when at rest in said unactuated state, being connected to said articulation lock and, thereby, locking said passive articulation joint in a given articulated position to hold said end effector in position;
• and
• when proximally translated in said actuated state, being disconnected from said articulation lock and, thereby, articulatingly releasing said passive articulation joint to articulate freely and solely dependent upon a force external to said medical device and applied to said end effector through direct contact with an exterior surface of said end effector.

A medical device, comprising:

• a control handle having:
• a stapling actuator;
• means for unlocking articulation different from said stapling actuator and having a locked state and an unlocked state;
• and
• a body through which said stapling actuator and said articulation unlocking means traverse;
• a surgical stapling end effector having:
• an anvil;
• a stapler cartridge having at least one staple;
• and
• an anvil-cartridge control device operatively connected to said stapling actuator, said anvil, and said stapler cartridge and stapling said at least one staple when said stapling actuator is actuated;
• means for passively articulating said stapling end effector with respect to said control handle;
• a portion of said stapling actuator passing through said passively articulating means and flexing in a corresponding manner to an articulation of said passively articulating means;
• and
• no portion of said articulation unlocking means passing entirely through said passive articulating means, said articulation unlocking means:
• when in said locked state, holding said end effector in a substantially fixed articulation position;
• and
• when in said unlocked state, releasing said end effector into a freely articulating state to articulate freely and solely dependent upon forces external to said medical device and applied to said end effector through direct contact with an exterior surface of said end effector.