Surgical fastening apparatus with locking mechanism

Claim 2

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blocking means (103, 104,220, 214, 315, 320) prevents approximation of said cartridge (101) toward said closing means (108) after said fasteners are fired and said cartridge is withdrawn from said closing means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocking means comprise co-operating surfaces associated with the cartridge (101) and the closing means (108) respectively, the said surfaces being provided on a locking mechanism (102, 220, 315) and an interference means (104, 214, 320).

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein: a) the locking mechanism includes detent means (103 d) movable from a first position when said fasteners are positioned in said cartridge, to a second position after said fasteners are fired therefrom, and to a third position when said cartridge is withdrawn from said closing means; and b) the interference means (104) is connected to said support means and is positioned to interfere with said detent means when said detent means is in the third position so as to prevent approximation of said cartridge toward said closing means past a predetermined position when said cartridge is devoid of fasteners.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the locking mechanism (103, 220, 315) is associated with said cartridge and is actuated by withdrawing said cartridge from the body tissue after firing the fasteners to prevent reapproximation of said cartridge.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3, 4 or 5, wherein said locking mechanism is at least partially located inside of said cartridge.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein actuation of said locking mechanism (315) comprises movement of said locking mechanism from an initial position within said cartridge to a final position wherein at least a portion of said locking mechanism extends beyond the periphery of said cartridge so as to become engageable with said interference means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a leaf spring (103).

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interference means comprises means to engage a detent portion of the leaf spring, said engaging means comprising a slot (104).

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said leaf spring (103) is located within a chamber in the cartridge and movable in response to firing of the fasteners from a first position wherein said detent portion is not engageable with said slot (104) to an intermediate position wherein said detent portion is located outside said chamber, and wherein said detent portion is resiliently movable into engagement with said slot in response to proximal movement of the cartridge.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein said locking mechanism is initially actuated by a firing means and further actuated by retraction of said cartridge.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, and wherein the locking mechanism comprises a drop bolt (315)

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein said fasteners are substantially simultaneously fired.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein said cartridge is a removable cartridge which may be loaded into the apparatus, expended of fasteners, and replaced with another removable cartridge.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 14 wherein said interference means comprises a member (212) having first (213) and second (214) slots, and said locking mechanism comprises a member (221) which includes a slot engaging rod (222) movable between a first position wherein it is slidable into said first slot of said interference means and a second position wherein it is slidable into said second slot of said approximation blocking means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said second slot includes a wall surface (214a) for blocking distal movement of said slot engaging rod.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 16, further including means (316) for biasing said locking member in a first position and restraining means (317) for preventing said locking member from moving into a second position, wherein said restraining means comprises a resilient member (317) having means (318) to releasably engage one of two end portions of said locking member, said resilient member being movable to a non-restraining position in response to application of a fastener driving force.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 17, wherein said locking member comprises a cylindrical shaft (315) having a circumferential groove (315a) at said one end portion.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said means to releasably engage said one end portion of the locking member comprises an aperture (318) in said resilient member (317) having a narrow portion (318a) and a wide portion (318b), said narrow portion having a width less than the diameter of said locking member but of sufficient width to engage the locking member at said groove, and said wide portion of the aperture having a greater size than the diameter of the locking member so as to allow said locking member to pass therethrough.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 17, 18 and 19, wherein the cartridge includes an aperture (319) for permitting passage of the other of the two end portions of the locking member to a position wherein it is engageable with the interference means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein said locking member includes a generally cylindrical shaft portion (315) movable from a first position to a second position wherein it is engageable with a blocking surface (320) associated with said interference means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fasteners comprise metal staples.

Claim 23

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 21, wherein said fasteners comprise two-part fasteners (151, 152) fabricated from bioabsorbable polymer.