Patent US2744564A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US112082A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0442482A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0442482A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotating head skin stapler
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
•
Filing: 1991-02-13
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-02-13
Abstract
Abstract A surgical stapler having a trigger (40) attached to a racheting mechanism (28, 36) for preventing the refiring of the stapler trigger (40) with a staple loaded within a forming mechanism. In addition, the mechanism contains driver buffering means (26) to prevent the sharp reduction in opposing force driving formation of a staple (100). The staples (100) are constantly maintained in proper orientation during transfer from a track to the forming site, and are self-centering on the former, and have an oversized crown so that cold-worked areas on each staple (100) do not hinder forming.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael A. Murray
- 👤 John F. Love
- 👤 James D. Hughett
- 👤 Randy R. Stephens
- 👤 Richard F. Schwemberger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/0682; A61B17/0684
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
In a surgical stapler (10 having a base (20) and a drive mechanism containing a trigger (40) connected to said base (20) and to a stapling mechanism wherein said trigger (40) undergoes a firing stroke to activate the stapling mechanism to fire staples, the improvement comprising ratchet means (28, 36) in contact with said trigger (40) wherein said ratchet means (28, 36) maintains said trigger (40) at incremental position along said stroke.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
In the stapling mechanism of Claim 1, the improvement further comprising said trigger (40) rotationally connected to a pivot (41) on said base (20) and moving said stapling mechanism along a drive axis (46), and a return spring (42) maintaining a force on said trigger (40) in a direction opposite that of said firing stroke, said ratchet means (28, 36) comprising a pawl (28) in contact with said trigger (40) and a rack (36) attached to said base (20) such that during the stroke said pawl (28) contacts said rack (36) in mating relationship with enough force to overcome the return spring force (42) on said trigger (40) and maintain said trigger along its stroke.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The stapler of Claim 2 wherein said rack (36) contains a plurality of teeth (38) and said pawl (28) contains a stopping surface (32) such that said stopping surface contacts said teeth (38) and said teeth resist the return spring force (42) on said trigger (40).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The stapler of Claim 3 wherein said pawl (28) moves along an axis parallel to said stapling mechanism activated by said trigger (40) and said teeth (38) resist said return spring force (42) parallel to said pawl axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The stapler of Claim 4 wherein said pawl (28) further comprises an engagement tab (29) and said base (20) further comprises a block (30) such that said tab (29) engages said block (30) at the beginning of said stroke and before said stopping surface (29a) engages said teeth (38).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a surgical stapler having stapling means manually acitvated by the stroke of a trigger (40) in a base (20) for firing staples (100), the improvement comprising opposing means in said base (20), said opposing means (24, 26) acting on said trigger (40) at the end of said stroke such that said opposing means (24, 26) act on said trigger (40) during formation of said staple (100).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
In the stapler of Claim 6 said trigger (40) rotating about a pivot (41) connected to said base (20) and connected to a drive block (44) to activate said stapling means, said drive block (44) moved along a travel axis (46) within said base (20) by said trigger (40), said opposing means (24, 26) further comprising buffer means (26) on said drive block (44) encountering stop means (24) on said base (20).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The stapler of Claims 6 or 7 wherein said buffer means (26) are resilient and encounter said stop means (24) from before said staple (100) is fully formed until the completion of said stroke.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The stapler of any of Claims 6 to 8 wherein said drive block comprises a drive block (44) which moves along a guiding channel (48) within said base (20), and said stop means (24) is positioned to encounter said buffer means (26) toward the end of motion of said drive block (44) along said stroke.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The stapler of Claim 9 wherein said base (20) encloses said drive block (44) and said guiding channels (48) are positioned along the length of said base (20).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The stapler of Claim 10 wherein said drive block (44) contains a plurality of wings (49) extending into the cross-section of said base (20).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a surgical stapler having a plurality of staples (100) positioned in a staple stack (110) and a staple forming mechanism (76) positioned away from said staple stack (110), the improvement comprising lifter means (90) for taking the first staple (100) from said staple stack (110), and transferring said first staple (100) to said forming mechanism (76) while continually maintaining orientation of said staple (100) during transfer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
In the stapler of Claim 12, said lifter means (90) comprising a spring loaded lifter (90) configured to describe the profile of said first staple (100).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
In the staples of Claim 13, said lifter (90) continually urging said first staple (100) away from said staple stack (110) by means of a spring (88) acting on said lifter (90).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
In the stapler of Claim 14, said orientation maintained during transfer by an intermediate housing (74) positioned between said staple stack (110) and said forming site, said housing (74) containing a staple profile (96) maintaining said staple (100) on said lifter (90) until said staple (100) is transferred to said forming site.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
In the stapler of Claim 15 said lifter (90) holding said staple (100) in place until said staple (100) is positioned at said forming stack (120) along a track parallel to said staple stack (110).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
99 words
In a surgical stapler hainving a staple former (76) which shapes surgical staples (100) about an anvil (78), said former (76) haivng a rectangular inner profile (96) and edges (98) for contacting said staple legs (104), said unformd staple (100) having a crown (106) and a pair of legs (104) angularly connected to said crown (106) said staple legs (104) bending at the union with said crown (106) along the inner edges (98) of said former (76) and about said anvil (78), said edges (98) contacting said legs (104) before said inner profile begins to bend said legs (104).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
64 words
The stapler of Claim 17 wherein said formed legs (104) have about a 90° angle about said anvil (78) such that said formed staple legs (104) bend around said anvil (78) before release from said staple (100) with the preformed angularly spaced portion of said legs (104) about said anvil sides and within said inner profile, and said crown (106) contacting said anvil (78).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The stapler of Claim 19 wherein said anvil (78) is shorter than said unformed crown (106).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
A surgical stapler containing a plurality of unformed staples, each said staple (100) having a crown (106) and a pair of legs (104), said staple (100) formed by bending said staple using a former (76) to bend said legs (104) about an anvil (78) with said crown (106) contacting said anvil (78), said unformed crown (106) longer than said anvil (78)
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.