Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A staple-carrying cartridge for ligating, suturing and dividing an organic tubular structure, the cartridge comprising: a rail assembly including a pair of parallel spaced anvil parts and knife guide means extending between said anvil parts and parallel thereto; at least one wire suture associated with each of said anvil parts, said wire sutures being slidable with respect to said anvil parts; a pusher element cooperating with said wire sutures and serving to eject same in pairs from said cartridge and to drive same against said anvils, thereby causing said wire sutures to become wrapped about said organic tubular structure held against said anvils; a knife cooperating with said pusher for severing said tubular structure held against said anvils; and means for ejecting the tubular structure havles from said anvils after the dividing operation is completed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A staple-carrying cartridge for ligating, suturing and dividing an organic tubular structure, the cartridge comprising: a rail assembly including a pair of parallel spaced anvil parts and knife guide means extending between said anvil parts and parallel thereto; at least one wire suture associated with each of said anvil parts, said wire sutures being slidable with respect to said anvil parts; a pusher element cooperating with said wire sutures and serving to eject same in pairs from said cartridge and to drive same against said anvils, thereby causing said wire sutures to become wrapped about said organic tubular structure held against said anvils; a knife cooperating with said pusher for severing said tubular structure held against said anvils; and means for ejecting the tubular structure havles from said anvils after the dividing operation is completed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The cartridge defined in claim 1, wherein said means for ejecting tissue is in the form of at least one tissue ejecting plate lying parallel to and slidably mounted with respect to at least one of said parallel spaced anvil parts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
The cartridge defined in claim 2, wherein each of said anvil parts has an indentation defined therein, said indentation serving to house said organic tubular structure during the ligating, suturing and dividing operations; and wherein said at least one tissue ejecting plate has first and second positions, the first position being remote from said indentations defined in said anvil parts and said second position extending into and blocking the passage to said indentations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The cartridge defined in claim 3, and further comprising means for moving at least one tissue ejecting plate out of the region of said indentations during a suturing operation and into the region of said indentations after a suturing operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The cartridge defined in claim 1, and further comprising locking means for maintaining the relative positions between the moveable elements of said cartridge, during all stages of transit, in positions ready to be inserted into its associated surgical instrument.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cartridge defined in claim 5, wherein said locking means maintains the relative positions between said rail assembly and said pusher.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
The cartridge defined in claim 6, wherein said pusher is provided with a locking indentation; and said rail assembly is provided with a locking projection; said projection and said indentation adapted to mate when the relative positions of said moveable elements are ready for insertion into the associated surgical instrument, and wherein said locking means may be easily disengaged from one another after insertion of said cartridge into said surgical instrument.