EP0656188A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surgical apparatus for applying surgical fasteners
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1994-10-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-10-05
Abstract
Abstract A self-contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus so is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes an anvil member 56 and a surgical fastener cartridge member 58 mounted to the distal end of an elongated endoscopic portion. A tubular collar 220 of the endoscopic portion moves distally to engage the anvil member and bias the anvil member and the cartridge member into cooperative alignment, thereby clamping body tissue to be fastened between the anvil member and the cartridge member. A self contained pneumatic system 68 is optionally disposed in the surgical apparatus and is actuable to eject and/or form the surgical fasteners in the clamped body tissue. The apparatus further comprises a locking means 176 for preventing firing of the instrument after it has been fired a predetermined number of times. A counter 400, 406, 450 for displaying the number of times the apparatus has been fired may be provided. A firing interlock is also shown which prevents accidental actuation of the firing trigger. A clamping interlock 408, 410 is shown which prevents approximation of the jaws when the jaws are either misaligned or improperly inserted into the instrument. The instrument also includes means 480 for disabling the actuation system after a cartridge has been fired and means 490 for identifying a cartridge member having firing characteristics compatible with the pneumatic actuation system.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory Sorrentino
- 👤 Alim Alli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:25
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/072; A61B17/07207; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00544; A61B2017/07214; A61B2017/07257; A61B2017/07264; A61B2017/07271
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners comprising: a) a frame portion; b) an elongated body portion extending from said frame portion; c) a fastener applying assembly operatively associated with a distal end portion of said body portion and including: i) a cartridge member having a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed therein; and ii) an anvil member mounted adjacent said cartridge member against which fasteners ejected from said cartridge member are driven; d) fastener ejection means actuable from said frame portion for ejecting said plurality of surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly; e) a pneumatic actuation system disposed within said frame portion and operatively associated with said fastener ejection means; f) a trigger operatively associated with said frame portion for actuating said pneumatic actuation system; and g) counter means for indicating to a user the number of times said pneumatic actuation system may be operated, said counter means being adapted and configured to inhibit the actuation of said trigger after said apparatus has been operated a predetermined number of times.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 1, wherein said counter means comprises a linear rack member configured to translate longitudinally with respect to said frame portion, and a reciprocating indexing shaft configured to interact with said rack member to advance said rack member when said pneumatic actuation system is operated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in any of the preceding claims, further comprising means operatively associated with said counter means for inhibiting the operation of said pneumatic actuation system after said apparatus has been operated a predetermined number of times.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 3, wherein said means for inhibiting the operation of a apparatus comprises a blocking tab which extends from a triggering rod and is dimensioned and configured to interact with said rack member after said apparatus has been operated a predetermined number of times.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
208 words
A surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners comprising: a) a frame portion; b) an elongated body portion extending distally from said frame portion; c) a fastener applying assembly operatively associated with a distal end portion of said body portion and including: i) a cartridge member having a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed therein; and ii) an anvil member mounted adjacent said cartridge member against which said fasteners are driven when ejected from said cartridge member; d) fastener ejection means actuable from said frame portion for sequentially ejecting said plurality of surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly; e) a pneumatic actuation system disposed within said frame portion and operatively associated with said fastener ejection means, said pneumatic actuation system including a longitudinally translating piston member, a gas power source to drive said fastener ejection means, and a rocking lever engagable with said piston and said power source in a first position and disengaged from said piston in a second position; f) a trigger mechanism rod operatively associated with said frame portion for engagement with said piston to actuate said pneumatic actuation system; and g) disabling means operatively associated with said pneumatic actuation system for inhibiting the operation of said trigger mechanisms in the absence of an unfired cartridge member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 5, wherein said disabling means includes: a) stop means for preventing a full return of said piston member after said fasteners have been ejected from said cartridge; and b) means for maintaining said rocking lever in said second position until said piston is fully returned.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 6, wherein said stop means includes: a) stop member associated with said elongated body portion; and b) a stop engaging member associated with said piston such that said stop engaging member engages said stop member after ejection of said plurality of fasteners to prevent full return of said piston to a prefired position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 7, wherein said stop member is a radially inward projection in said elongated body portion and said stop engaging member is a corresponding projection associated with said piston.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 6, 7, or 8, wherein said maintaining means includes a camming surface along one edge of said piston for camming said rocking lever into said second position and means associated with said piston for preventing said rocking lever from attaining said first position until said piston is fully returned to said prefired position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein said disabling means further includes blocking means associated with said trigger mechanism for preventing engagement of said trigger mechanism with said piston until said rocking lever is in said first position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 10, wherein said blocking means includes a projection on said trigger mechanism engagable with said rocking lever when said rocking lever is in said second position, such that said trigger mechanism is blocked from engaging said piston and disengagable from said rocking lever when said rocking lever is in said first position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
126 words
A surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners comprising: a) a frame portion; b) an elongated body portion extending distally from said frame portion; c) a fastener applying assembly operatively associated with a distal end portion of said body portion and including: i) a cartridge member having a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed therein; and ii) an anvil member mounted adjacent said cartridge member against which said fasteners are driven when ejected from said cartridge member; d) fastener ejection means actuable from said frame portion for sequentially ejecting said plurality of surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly; and e) identification means associated with said fastener ejection means for preventing actuation thereof when an incompatible cartridge member is inserted within said distal end portion of said body portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 12, wherein said identification means comprises a bridge member associated with said fastener ejection means adapted to disable said cartridge member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 13, wherein said fastener ejection means comprises a channel and said bridge is formed on said channel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as recited in Claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein said incompatible cartridge does not include ramping structure which is present on a compatible cartridge member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
119 words
A surgical apparatus for driving surgical fasteners comprising: a) a frame portion; b) an elongated body portion extending distally from said frame portion; c) a fastener applying assembly operatively associated with a distal end portion of said body portion and including: i) a cartridge member having a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed therein; and ii) an anvil member mounted adjacent said cartridge member against which said fasteners are driven when ejected from said cartridge member; d) fastener ejection means actuable from said frame portion for sequentially ejecting said plurality of surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly; and e) stop means for preventing full return of said fastener ejection means after said fasteners have been ejected from said cartridge member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
63 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 16, wherein said stop means includes: a) stop member associated with said elongated body portion; and b) a stop engaging member associated with fastener ejection means such that said stop engaging member engages said stop member after ejection of said plurality of fasteners to prevent full return of said fastener ejection means to a prefired position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
A surgical apparatus as recited in Claim 16 or 17, wherein said stop member is a radially inward projection in said elongated body portion and said stop engaging member is a corresponding projection associated with said fastener ejection means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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