Stapling instrument having an anvil-carrying part of particular geometric shape

Claim 2

A surgical stapling apparatus, at least part of which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, for the purpose of joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said apparatus comprising: a member including an anvil-carrying part comprising two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are deformed and a rod upon which the anvil-carrying part is mounted, said rod intersecting a plane defined by the staple clinching grooves and lying within the arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; the intersection of the surface of the rod with the plane of the staple clinching grooves defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves such that any cutting plane, other than the cutting plane parallel to said surface of said array of spaced staple clinching grooves, passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, which line of tangency lies within the plane of the staple clinching grooves, and which cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than said circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

Claim 3

The stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part comprises a portion of a sphere.

Claim 4

The stapling apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a staple-carrying part mounted on said rod, said staple-carrying part including a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for moving said staple-carrying part and said anvil-carrying part, one towards the other, so as to clamp body tissue to be stapled therebetween and, thereupon, to define a confined space between and within said staple-carrying part and said anvil-carrying part; and relief means defined by at least one of said staple-carrying and said anvil-carrying parts to communicate said confined space defined therebetween to the exterior thereof for relieving and venting said confined space to prevent any buildup of pressure in said confined space.

Claim 5

The stapling apparatus of claim 3, wherein said relief means conprises vent holes extending from an interior surface of the anvil-carrying part, which interior surface is in juxtaposition to the staple-carrying part, to an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part.

Claim 6

The staple apparatus of claim 3, wherein said relief means comprises vent holes extending from an interior surface of the staple-carrying part, which interior surface is in juxtaposition to said anvil-carrying part, to an exterior surface of said staple-carrying part.

Claim 7

The stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said arrangement of staples forms a circular closed pattern, said two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves comprising two concentric circular arrays thereof.

Claim 8

The stapling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said arrangement of staples forms a closed pattern generally equivalent to a closed circular pattern, said two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves comprising two concentric, generally circular arrays thereof.

Claim 9

A surgical stapling apparatus, at least part of which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said stapling apparatus comprising: an anvil-carrying part including two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are deformed and a rod upon which said anvil-carrying part is mounted, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that a cutting plane passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, and wherein said cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

Claim 10

A surgical stapling apparatus, at least part of which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said stapling apparatus comprising: an anvil-carrying part including two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are deformed and a rod upon which said anvil-carrying part is mounted, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that a cutting plane passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, and wherein said cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

Claim 11

The stapling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part comprises a portion of a sphere.

Claim 12

The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a staple-carrying part mounted on said rod, said staple-carrying part including a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for moving said staple-carrying part and said anvil-carrying part, one towards the other, so as to clamp body tissue to be stapled therebetween and, thereupon, to define a confined space between and within said staple-carrying part and said anvil-carrying part; and relief means defined by at least one of said staple-carrying and said anvil-carrying parts to communicate said confined space defined therebetween to the exterior thereof for relieving and venting said confined space to prevent any buildup of pressure in said confined space.

Claim 13

The stapling apparatus of claim 10, wherein said relief means comprises vent holes extending from an interior surface of the anvil-carrying part, which interior surface is in juxtaposition to the staple-carrying part, to an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part.

Claim 14

The stapling apparatus of claim 10, wherein said relief means comprises vent holes extending from an interior surface of the staple-carrying part, which interior surface is in juxtaposition to said anvil-carrying part, to an exterior surface of said staple-carrying part.

Claim 15

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising: a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument; a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed; and means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by the staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; the intersection of the surface of the rod with the plane of the staple clinching grooves defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves such that any cutting plane, other than the cutting plane parallel to said surface of said array of spaced staple clinching grooves, passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, which line of tangency lies within the plane of the staple clinching grooves, and which cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than said circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of staple clinching grooves.

Claim 16

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising: a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument; a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed; and means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by the staple clinching grooves and lying within the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; the intersection of the surface of the rod with the plane of the staple clinching grooves defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves such that any cutting plane, other than the cutting plane parallel to said surface of said array of spaced staple clinching grooves, passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, which line of tangency lies within the plane of the staple clinching grooves, and which cutting plane, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than said circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of staple clinching grooves.

Claim 17

The cartridge assembly of claim 13, wherein an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part comprises a portion of a sphere.

Claim 18

The cartridge assembly of claim 13, wherein said cartridge assembly is disposable.

Claim 19

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising: a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument; a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed; means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; and a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that any cutting plane which passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

Claim 20

A two-part cartridge assembly which fits within two disconnected sections of hollow body organs, and which is mounted on a surgical stapling instrument that includes a rod for joining said sections with an arrangement of staples which forms a closed pattern, said cartridge comprising: a first part including a staple-carrying part having a staple guide body defining a closed pattern of staple holding grooves within which said staples are carried; means for mounting said staple-carrying part on said instrument; a second part including an anvil-carrying part having two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves against which staples are to be formed; means for mounting said anvil-carrying part on said rod, said rod intersecting a plane defined by said staple clinching grooves and lying within the arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves; and a knob securing said anvil-carrying part to said rod, said knob intersecting an exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part, the intersection of the surface of said knob with the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part defining a closed geometric figure; said anvil-carrying part having a geometric shape related to the circumference of an inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves, such that any cutting plane which passes through the anvil-carrying part and includes a line of tangency tangent to the exterior of said closed geometric figure, when rotated about said line of tangency, defines sections of the anvil-carrying part, all of which sections have a perimeter equal to or less than the circumference of said inner one of the two concentric arrays of spaced staple clinching grooves.

Claim 21

The cartridge assembly of claim 16, wherein the exterior surface of said anvil-carrying part comprises a portion of a sphere.

Claim 22

The cartridge assembly of claim 16, wherein said cartridge assembly is disposable.