EP0488768A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surgical stapler
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
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Filing: 1991-11-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-11-29
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to an improved surgical stapler (20) that prevents refiring of a spent staple cartridge (60). More specifically, this invention includes a simple, inexpensive mechanical locking mechanism which prevents refiring of a spent staple cartridge (60) by blocking the path of the firing and/or cutting means of the stapler (20).
Inventors
- 👤 Dale R. Schulze
- 👤 Jon A. Sherman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:50
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25C; B25C5/00; B25C5/16; B25C5/1686; A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/072; A61B17/07207; A61B2017/07214; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B2017/2926; A61B2017/2945; A61B90/00; A61B90/08; A61B2090/0814
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A surgical stapler for applying a plurality of rows of staples, said rows of staples being housed in a disposable cartridge having a front portion and a rear portion, said cartridge having a cartridge slot disposed between adjacent rows of staples and extending substantially the entire length of said rows, said stapler including firing means for said staples, cutting means movable in said slot and a locking mechanism for preventing movement of said cutting means in said slot, said cutting means having a bottom surface, a top surface, and a cutting edge, said locking mechanism comprising a leaf spring disposed in said stapler and engaging the bottom surface of said cutting means, to place said cutting means in a first position out of alignment with said slot, means disposed on said cartridge for engaging the top surface of the cutting means to depress said leaf spring and move said cutting means from said first position to a second position in alignment with said slot whereby said cutting means may move within said slot.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 1 wherein the cartridge has a pair of parallel rearwardly extending surfaces that extend parallel to the cutting means and rearward from the rearmost portion of the cartridge.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 2 wherein the means disposed on said cartridge is a rotatable member affixed to a first rearwardly extending surface, said rotatable member extending transversely across the cutting means toward the second rearwardly extending surface in the second position and said rotatable member being rotatable to the first position in which the rotatable member is parallel to the cutting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
138 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 2 wherein the means disposed on said cartridge is a configured wire member inside the cartridge having a first cavity in a first rearwardly extending surface and a second cavity in a second rearwardly extending surface, said configured wire member beginning near the front of the cartridge slot and disposed along substantially the entire length of the slot extending out of the rearmost portion of the cartridge slot and in the second position said wireform extends into the first and second cavities of the first and second parallel rearwardly extending surfaces while engaging the top surface of the cutting means and in the first position said configured wire member is not engaging the top surface of the cutting means and said configured wire member is released from the first and second cavities.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 2 wherein the means disposed on said cartridge is a breakable tranverse member that extends from the first parallel rearwardly extending surface across to the second parallel rearwardly extending surface in the second position and said transverse member is broken in the first position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 5 wherein the cutting means is a knife blade assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 6 wherein the cartridge has two adjacent rows of staples on each side of the slot.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 7 wherein the stapler has an upper piece having an upper handle portion, an upper jaw portion and a stationary locking pin and a lower piece having a movable lower handle portion and a lower jaw portion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 8 wherein the movable lower handle portion is pivotable between a first locking position in which a C-shaped member of the movable lower handle portion is disengaged from the stationary locking pin to a second locking position in which the stationary locking pin is engaged by the C-shaped member of the movable lower handle portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The surgical stapler according to claim 9 wherein the firing means comprises a knife blade assembly, one pusher bar on each side of the knife blade assembly, a roof assembly having a knife slit that the knife blade assembly may pass through and a pusher bar slit on each side of the knife slit for the pusher bars to pass through.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
In a surgical stapler for applying a plurality of rows of staples, said rows of staples being housed in a disposable cartridge said cartridge having a cartridge slot disposed between adjacent rows of staples and extending substantially the entire length of said rows, said stapler including firing means for said staples, and cutting means movable in said slot, the improvement comprising a locking mechanism for preventing movement of said cutting means in said slot.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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