EP0040157A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Surgical stapling apparatus having independent staple feed and ejection capabilities
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1981-05-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-05-13
Abstract
Abstract A surgical stapling mechanism particularly suited for suturing skin and fascia and adapted to be mounted on or formed as part of an instrument having rectilinear thrust capabilities. The mechanism basically comprises a staple-housing portion which is adapted to store a plurality of surgical staples (30) in a linear array. The staple-housing portion contains a guide track (32) for orienting the surgical staples (30) so that the crowns (34) of the staples (30) lie in substantially the same plane. A spring arrangement (36) constantly urges the staple array in a forward direction. An exit aperture (37) provides a means by which the surgical staples may exit. Integral with the exit aperture is an anvil (40) which is used to form the staples (30) as they exit, one at a time. A delivery channel (42) provides a passageway through which the staples (30) move, one at a time, on their way toward the anvil (40). The delivery channel (42) defines a plane spaced from and substantially parallel to a plane defined by the crowns (34) of the staples (30) as they are stored in the staple-housing portion. A connecting channel (44) between the storage track (32) and the delivery channel (42) provides a path from the staple-housing portion to the delivery channel (42) for the passage of the surgical staples (30). Mounted for rectilinear movement is a pusher (50) which responds to a force supplied by the stapling instrument to advance a staple (30) through the delivery channel (42) and out of the exit aperture (37) for formation about the anvil (40).
Inventors
- 👤 Richard August Vey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:59
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/0682; A61B17/0684; B; B25; B25C; B25C5/00; B25C5/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
A surgical stapling apparatus adapted for use with a skin-stapling instrument in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, each staple including a pair of spaced-apart, parallel legs, joined by a crown, said apparatus comprising: staple-storing means adapted for storing said staples in a sequential array, one next to the other, each of said staples being oriented in said staple-storing means in a position of storage; exiting means for providing an exit for said staples; delivery channel means for providing a passage for said staples to said exiting means, each of said staples being oriented in a position of use when in said delivery channel means; spring means acting on the last staple in said array for constantly urging the staples as a total charge in a predtermined direction; and connecting channel means providing a passage for said staples from said staple-storing means to said delivery channel means, said connecting channel means being configured and positioned relative to said staple-storing means and said delivery channel means for causing the forwardmost staple in said array to be reoriented from said position of storage to said position of use when said total charge'passes through said connecting channel means under the urging of said spring means, the legs of each staple, when in said position storage, defining a plane which is not parallel to a plane defined by said same staple when in said position of use.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
235 words
A surgical stapling apparatus adapted for use with a skin-stapling instrument in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, each staple including a pair of spaced-apart, parallel legs, joined by a crown, said apparatus comprising: staple-storing means adapted for storing said staples in a sequential array, one next to the other, each of said staples being oriented in said staple-storing means in a position of storage; exiting means for providing an exit for said staples; delivery channel means for providing a passage for said staples to said exiting means, each of said staples being oriented in a position of use when in said delivery channel means; spring means acting on the last staple in said array for constantly urging the staples as a total charge in a predtermined direction; and connecting channel means providing a passage for said staples from said staple-storing means to said delivery channel means, said connecting channel means being configured and positioned relative to said staple-storing means and said delivery channel means for causing the forwardmost staple in said array to be reoriented from said position of storage to said position of use when said total charge'passes through said connecting channel means under the urging of said spring means, the legs of each staple, when in said position storage, defining a plane which is not parallel to a plane defined by said same staple when in said position of use.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising anvil means for forming said staples passing through said exiting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising pusher means for pushing said staples through said delivery channel means and out of said exiting means for formation about said anvil means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said delivery channel means includes means for accommodating one staple at a time, said one staple being received from said connecting channel means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said staple-storing means includes means for orienting said staple in said array so that the crowns of said staples lie substantially in the same plane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said connecting channel means, in the area of said delivery channel means, defines a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by said staple crowns when said crowns are in said staple-storing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said delivery channel means defines a plane which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane defined by said staple crowns when said crowns are in said staple-storing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
233 words
A surgical stapling apparatus adapted for use with a skin-stapling instrument in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, each staple including a pair of spaced-apart, parallel legs, joined by a crown, said apparatus comprising: staple-storing means defined within said main body for storing said staples in a sequential array,-one next to the other, each of said staples being oriented in said staple-storing means in a position of storage; exiting means for providing an exit from said main body for said staples; delivery channel means for providing a passage for said staples to said exiting means, each of said staples being oriented in a position of use when in said delivery channel means; spring means acting on the last staple in said array for constantly urging the staples as a total charge in a predetermined direction; and connecting channel means for providing a passage for said staples from said staple-storing means to said delivery channel means, said connecting channel means being configured and positioned relative to said staple-storing means and said delivery channel means for causing the staples in said connecting channel means to interact with each other, each staple, when in said connecting channel, imparting rotational movement on the next succeeding staple, said rotational movement being about the axis defined by the crown of the staple, with the forwardmost staple of said array being positioned for use in said delivery channel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
233 words
A surgical stapling apparatus adapted for use with a skin-stapling instrument in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, each staple including a pair of spaced-apart, parallel legs, joined by a crown, said apparatus comprising: staple-storing means defined within said main body for storing said staples in a sequential array,-one next to the other, each of said staples being oriented in said staple-storing means in a position of storage; exiting means for providing an exit from said main body for said staples; delivery channel means for providing a passage for said staples to said exiting means, each of said staples being oriented in a position of use when in said delivery channel means; spring means acting on the last staple in said array for constantly urging the staples as a total charge in a predetermined direction; and connecting channel means for providing a passage for said staples from said staple-storing means to said delivery channel means, said connecting channel means being configured and positioned relative to said staple-storing means and said delivery channel means for causing the staples in said connecting channel means to interact with each other, each staple, when in said connecting channel, imparting rotational movement on the next succeeding staple, said rotational movement being about the axis defined by the crown of the staple, with the forwardmost staple of said array being positioned for use in said delivery channel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the next forwardmost staple of said total charge is caused to rotate about the axis defined by its crown so that its legs define a plane substantially parallel to a plane defined by said delivery channel, said legs of said next forwardmost staple supporting the legs of said forwardmost staple that is in said delivery channel means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising anvil means for forming said staples after they pass through said exiting means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The cartridge of claim .10, further comprising pusher means for pushing said staples through said delivery channel means and out of said exiting means for formation about said anvil means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said delivery channel means includes means for accommodating one staple at a time, said one staple being received from said connecting channel means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said staple-storing means includes means for orienting said staple in said array so that the crowns of said staples lie substantially in the same plane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said connecting channel means, in the area of said delivery channel means, defines a plane inclined toward the rearward end of said staple-storing means, said inclined plane being at an angle of approximately 60° with reference to the plane defined by said staple crowns when said crowns are in said staple-storing means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said connecting channel means, in the area of said delivery channel means, defines a plane inclined toward the rearward end of said staple-storing means, said inclined plane being at an angle equal to or less than 90° with reference to the plane defined by said staple crowns when said crowns are in said staple storing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said delivery channel means defines a plane which is substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane defined by said staple crowns when said crowns are in said staple-storing means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
105 words
Surgical staple-retaining apparatus for use with a staple-storing device in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, said staple-storing device including a movable pusher bar for urging a staple through a delivery channel and out of an exit aperture for formation about an anvil, said staple-retaining apparatus comprising: first means operable in a first position for preventing said staple from moving within said delivery channel and operable in a second position for permitting free movement of said staple within said delivery channel, and second means, responsive to the movement of said pusher bar, for shifting said first means between said first and second positions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
105 words
Surgical staple-retaining apparatus for use with a staple-storing device in applying surgical staples to disunited skin or fascia, said staple-storing device including a movable pusher bar for urging a staple through a delivery channel and out of an exit aperture for formation about an anvil, said staple-retaining apparatus comprising: first means operable in a first position for preventing said staple from moving within said delivery channel and operable in a second position for permitting free movement of said staple within said delivery channel, and second means, responsive to the movement of said pusher bar, for shifting said first means between said first and second positions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first means comprises a resilient finger means terminating in a leg that occupies and blocks said delivery channel when said first means is in said first position.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said second means comprises an abutment means connected to said first means, said abutment means responsive to the movement of said pusher bar for shifting said first means from said first position to said second position to unblock said delivery channel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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