Medical instrument

Claim 1

A MEDICAL INSTRUMENT FOR STAPLING ORGANS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A C-SHAPED JAW HAVING AN UPSTANDING FORWARD LEG, AN ELONGATED INSTRUMENT BODY CONNECTED TO THE REAR OF SAID JAW, A MOVABLE CARRIER MEMBER POSITIONED WITHIN THE MOUTH OF SAID JAW AND MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FORWARD LEG, AN UPSTANDING PUSHER HEAD POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CARRIER MEMBER AND RELATIVELY MOVABLE THERETO IN A FORWARD AND REARWARD DIRECTION, AN ELONGATED OPERATING ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PUSHER HEAD AND EXTENDING REARWARD THROUGH SAID ELONGATED INSTRUMENT BODY, A REMOVABLE DISPOSABLE STAPLE CARRYING AND EJECTION UNITARY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A STAPLE-HOLDING CARTRIDGE PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SLOTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CARTRIDGE, EACH SLOT BEING ADAPTED TO HOLD A SURGICAL STAPLE THEREIN, SAID ASSEMBLY FURTHER COMPRISING A DRIVE MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED REAR BODY POSITIONED BEHIND AND SPACED FROM THE REAR WALL OF SAID CARTRIDGE AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF DRIVE BLADES EXTENDING FROM SAID REAR BODY AND EACH PENETRATING A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID SLOTS, SAID ASSEMBLY BEING REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER, AN ANVIL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF DEPRESSIONS CORRESPONDINGLY ARRANGED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SLOT ARRANGEMENT OF SAID CARTRIDGE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID ANVIL ON THE REAR FACE OF SAID FORWARD LEG SUCH THAT SAID DEPRESSIONS FACE SAID CARRIER MEMBER, WHEREBY THE ORGAN TO BE STITCHED MAY BE CLAMPED BETWEEN THE FORWARD FACE OF SAID CARTRIDGE AND SAID ANVIL WHEN SAID CARRIER MEMBER IS MOVED FORWARD, AFTER WHICH SAID OPERATING ROD IS FORCED FORWARD AND SAID PUSHER HEAD ENGAGES SAID REAR BODY OF SAID DRIVE MEMBER, FORCING THE SAME FORWARD TO EFFECT THE EJECTION OF EACH SAID STAPLE IN SAID CARTRIDGE.