Apparatus for placing staples in laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures

Claim 2

Surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue comprising: a) a frame having clamping means and actuating means; and b) an endoscopic portion defining a longitudinal axis and extending distally from the frame, said endoscopic portion including: i) an extension tube having a distal end mounted collar tube, the extension tube rotatably connected to the clamping means of the frame for rotatable and longitudinal movement through the endoscopic portion between a first open position and a second closed position; ii) a cover tube mounted to the frame for rotational movement about a longitudinal axis; iii) an elongated support fixed to the cover tube, said elongated support retaining a replaceable cartridge assembly including a plurality of surgical fasteners slidably mounted therein and having a tissue engaging surface and said elongated support further pivotally retaining an anvil member having a fastener forming surface, the anvil member being pivotal between an open position corresponding to the first position of the extension tube and a closed position corresponding to the second position of the extension tube wherein the fastener forming surface is in close cooperative alignment with the tissue engaging surface of the cartridge assembly; iv) a channel attached to said actuating means and adapted for longitudinal movement within the elongated support and rotation movement with the endoscopic portion.

Claim 3

Surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue comprising: a) a frame; b) an endoscopic portion defining a longitudinal axis and extending distally from the frame, said endoscopic portion including: i) an elongated support having a distal member for receiving a replaceable cartridge assembly, the replaceable cartridge assembly including a plurality of surgical fasteners slidably mounted therein, a tissue engaging surface and a ramped mating surface; ii) an anvil member having a fastener forming surface and a tissue capturing portion, the anvil member having a proximal end pivotally retained in the elongated support such that the anvil member is movable between an open position and a closed position wherein the tissue capturing portion, the ramped mating surface, the tissue engaging surface and the fastener forming surface are in close cooperative alignment; iii) means for moving the anvil member between the open position and the closed position; and iv) means for ejecting the surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly, whereby the fasteners pierce the body tissue and engage the fastener forming surface.

Claim 4

Surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners into body tissue comprising: a) a frame having clamping means; and b) an endoscopic portion defining a longitudinal axis and extending distally from the frame, said endoscopic portion including: i) an extension tube having a distal end mounted collar tube, the extension tube connected to the clamping means of the frame for longitudinal movement through the endoscopic portion between a first open position and a second closed position; ii) a cover tube mounted to the frame about a longitudinal axis; iii) an elongated support fixed to the cover tube, said elongated support retaining interacting jaw members pivotal between an open position corresponding to the first position of the extension tube and a closed position corresponding to the second position of the extension tube wherein the jaw members are in close cooperative alignment.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for rotating the endoscopic portion around the longitudinal axis.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for moving the endoscopic portion between the open position and the closed position comprises: a) an arcuate camming surface having a defined radius of curvature; and b) a collar tube disposed around at least a portion of the elongated support, said collar tube having a distal camming surface with a defined radius of curvature and further being movable between a first position in which the distal camming surface is located proximally to the proximal end of the arcuate camming surface, and a second position in which the distal camming surface is located distally to the proximal end of the arcuate camming surface, the distal camming surface cooperating with the arcuate camming surface such that when the collar is moved from the first position to the second position, the arcuate camming surface is urged to the closed position.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the distal camming surface on the collar tube has a radius of curvature which is shorter than the radius of curvature of the arcuate camming surface.

Claim 8

Apparatus of claim 6 or 7, as dependent upon claim 1 or 3, wherein said means for moving the collar between the first position and the second position further comprise: a) an extension tube extending longitudinally to the frame and having proximal and distal ends; b) means for longitudinally moving the extension tube relative to the frame; and c) means for transmitting longitudinal movement from the distal end of the extension tube to the collar such that the collar is movable between the first position and the second position.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising gas sealing means to atmospherically isolate the endoscopic portion and the frame.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and including a fastener forming surface of a metal alloy selected from nickel, gold, silver, titanium nitride and chromium.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims as dependent upon claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the anvil member is pivotally mounted within the elongated support by means of a leaf spring.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the anvil member is interchangeably mounted within the elongated support.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims as dependent upon claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the anvil member and cartridge assembly are pre-cambered.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising interlock means for preventing actuation when the apparatus is not in a closed position.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims as dependent upon claim 2, and further comprising manual safety means for blocking retraction of said actuating means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and as dependent upon claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the replaceable cartridge assembly comprises: a cartridge housing; a cartridge holding a plurality of surgical fasteners slidably disposed therein in abutment with corresponding pushers, the cartridge defining a plurality of longitudinal slots accessing the pushers; a cam bar adapter removably mounting a plurality of cam bars, the cam bars adapted for longitudinal movement through the longitudinal slots to engage the pushers and eject the staples.

Claim 17

The surgical apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a knife, and means for disabling the knife after a single distal pass through the cartridge.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the plurality of cam bars are adapted for a single distal pass through the longitudinal slots, in that the cam bars are detached from the cam bar adapter after a single distal pass through the longitudinal slots and are retained therein to disable the cartridge assembly.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 as dependent on claim 17, and further wherein the knife is mounted to the cam bar adapter and adapted for longitudinal motion through the cartridge.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, as dependent on claim 12, wherein said means for disabling the knife comprises disengagement means for disengaging the channel from the cam bar adapter after a single distal pass of the knife through the cartridge.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, further comprising abutment means for preventing reengagement of the channel and the cam bar adpater after disengagement thereof.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and provided with at least one tissue stop to facilitate alignment of the apparatus and prevent overinsertion of the tissue therein.