EP0656188B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Surgical apparatus for applying surgical fasteners
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
•
Filing: 1994-10-05
•
Granted: 2003-01-02
•
Expires: 2014-10-05
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory Sorrentino
- 👤 Alim Alli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 21:34
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: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
275 words
A surgical apparatus (50) for driving surgical
fasteners comprising: a) a frame portion (52) ; b) an elongated body portion (54) 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 (58) having a plurality
of surgical fasteners disposed therein; and ii) an anvil member (56) mounted adjacent said
cartridge member against which fasteners
ejected from said cartridge member are
driven; d) fastener ejection means (274, 278) actuable from
said frame portion for ejecting said plurality of
surgical fasteners from said cartridge assembly; e) a pneumatic actuation system (68) disposed within
said frame portion and operatively associated
with said fastener ejection means; f) a trigger (96) operatively associated with said
frame portion for actuating said pneumatic
actuation system; g) counter means (400) for indicating to a user the
number of times said pneumatic actuation system
may be operated; and h) means (112a, 474) 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, said apparatus being characterised in that : said counter means comprises a linear rack member
(456) configured to translate longitudinally with
respect to said frame portion, and a
reciprocating indexing shaft (452) configured to
interact with said rack member to advance said
rack member when said pneumatic actuation system
is operated, said inhibiting means comprises a blocking tab
(112a) which extends from a triggering rod (112)
and is dimensioned and configured to interact
with said rack member (456) after said apparatus
has been operated said predetermined number of
times.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein
said pneumatic actuation system includes a longitudinally
translating piston member (104), a gas power source (88) to
drive said fastener ejection means, and a rocking lever (120)
engagable with said piston member (104) and said power source in a
first position and disengaged from said piston member in a second
position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
triggering rod (112) is operatively associated with
said frame portion for engagement with said piston member to actuate
said pneumatic actuation system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further
including disabling means (480) operatively associated with
said pneumatic actuation system for inhibiting the operation
of said triggering rod (112) in the absence of an unfired
cartridge member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein
said disabling means includes: a) stop means (480) for preventing a full return of
said piston member (104) after said fasteners have been
ejected from said cartridge; and b) means (490) for maintaining said rocking lever in
said second position until said piston member is fully
returned.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein
said stop means includes: a) stop member (480) associated with said elongated
body portion; and b) a stop engaging member (482) associated with
said piston member (104) such that said stop
engaging member engages said stop member after
ejection of said plurality of fasteners to
prevent full return of said piston member to a prefired
position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, 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.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein
said maintaining means includes a camming surface (144) along
one edge of said piston member (104) for camming said rocking lever into
said second position and means (114) associated with said
piston member for preventing said rocking lever from attaining said
first position until said piston member is fully returned to said
prefired position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 ,
wherein said disabling means further includes blocking means
(112b) associated with said triggering rod for preventing
engagement of said triggering rod with said piston member until
said rocking lever is in said first position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said
blocking means includes a projection (112b) on said triggering rod
engagable with said rocking lever when said rocking
lever is in said second position, such that said triggering rod
is blocked from engaging said piston member and
disengagable from said rocking lever when said rocking lever
is in said first position.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
42 words
The apparatus as claimed in any one of the
preceding claims further comprising: identification means (490) 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 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said
identification means comprises a bridge member (490)
associated with said fastener ejection means adapted to
disable said cartridge member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said
fastener ejection means comprises a channel (192) and said
bridge (490) is formed on said channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or 13 , in
combination with a compatible cartridge which includes
ramping structure (198, 200) which is slidably mounted for
reciprocal longitudinal motion.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
35 words
The apparatus as claimed in any one of the
preceding claims, wherein
a stop engaging member (482) prevents full return of said fastener
ejection means after said fasteners have been ejected from
said cartridge member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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