Surgical stapling instrument with automatic frame reinforcement

Claim 2

A surgical stapling instrument comprising: frame means having a normally open peripheral portion for admitting tissue to be stapled into an interior region of the frame means; staple driving means for stapling tissue located in the interior region of the frame means, the staple driving means being movably mounted relative to the frame means; actuator means for causing the staple driving means to move relative to the frame means to clamp the tissue located in the interior region of the frame means against a portion of the frame means in preparation for stapling the tissue; and means responsive to the motion of the staple driving means for automatically forming a structural connection between portions of the frame means adjacent both sides of the normally open peripheral portion to substantially prevent the portions of the frame means thus structurally connected from spreading apart during stapling of the tissue.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the staple driving means is mounted relative to the frame means adjacent one side of the interior region, and wherein the portion of the frame means against which the tissue is clamped is the opposite side of the interior region and includes staple clinching means.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the means for forming a structural connection comprises: a tension member mounted in the staple driving means; and means for mounting the staple driving means so that the motion of the staple driving means in response to the actuator means causes each of two spaced portions of the tension member to move adjacent and engage a respective one of the portions of the frame means to be structurally connected, the tension member thereafter providing the structural connection between those portions of the frame means.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the tension member is mounted on a portion of the staple driving means adjacent the normally open peripheral portion of the frame means, and wherein the staple driving means is mounted so that the staple driving means responds to the actuator means by first pivoting so that the two spaced portions of the tension member move adjacent the respective portions of the frame means to be structurally connected.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the staple driving means is further mounted so that when the two spaced portions of the tension member are adjacent the respective portions of the frame means to be structurally connected, the staple driving means further responds to the actuator means by causing the tension member to move laterally relative to its tension axis to cause at least one of the spaced portions of the tension member to engage the adjacent portion of the frame means.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the staple driving means is still further mounted so that after the lateral motion of the tension member, the staple driving means responds still further to the actuator means by pivoting in a direction opposite the direction of first pivoting.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein an initial portion of the pivoting of the staple driving means in the opposite direction causes the second of the spaced portions of the tension member to engage the adjacent portion of the frame means.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein a subsequent portion of the pivoting of the staple driving means in the opposite direction causes the staple driving member to clamp the tissue to be stapled against the staple clinching means.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising means responsive to release of the actuator means for automatically releasing the structural connection.

Claim 11

A surgical stapling instrument comprising: a U-shaped frame; anvil means mounted on a first leg of the frame; staple carrying means including means for releasably engaging both legs of the U-shaped frame adjacent the open end of the U to substantially prevent the legs of the frame from spreading apart when thus engaged; means mounted on the second leg of the frame for actuating the staple carrying means; and means for mounting the staple carrying means relative to the frame so that in response to actuation of the staple carrying means by the means for actuating, the means for releasably engaging engages both legs of the U-shaped frame and the staple carrying means moves into parallel relationship with the anvil means.

Claim 12

A surgical stapling instrument comprising: a U-shaped frame; anvil means mounted on a first leg of the frame; staple carrying means including means for releasably engaging both legs of the U-shaped frame adjacent the open end of the U to substantially prevent the legs of the frame from spreading apart when thus engaged; means mounted on the second leg of the frame for actuating the staple carrying means; and means for mounting the staple carrying means relative to the frame so that in response to actuation of the staple carrying means by the means for actuating, the means for releasably engaging engages both legs of the U-shaped frame and the staple carrying means moves into parallel relationship with the anvil means.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein the staple carrying means includes a rigid housing and wherein the means for mounting the staple carrying means comprises: means for resiliently biasing a first end of the rigid housing adjacent the closed end of the U-shaped frame away from the adjacent portion of the anvil means; and first pivot means adjacent the first end of the rigid housing for allowing the staple carrying means to pivot about a first pivotal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the legs of the U.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the means for resiliently biasing tends to resiliently pivot the staple carrying means about the first pivotal axis in a direction away from the anvil means.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the means for actuating the staple carrying means comprises means for exerting an actuating force on the rigid housing at a first location intermediate the means for releasably engaging and the first pivot means, the actuating force being exerted along an axis substantially perpendicular to the first pivotal axis and the legs of the frame, and the actuating force being exerted in a direction tending to move the staple carrying means toward the anvil means.

Claim 16

The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the means for resiliently biasing comprises spring means for exerting a spring force on the rigid housing at a second location intermediate the first location and the first pivot means, the spring force having at least a component parallel to and opposite the actuating force.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the means for releasably engaging comprises first means for stopping the pivoting of the staple carrying means about the first pivotal axis toward the anvil means when the second end of the rigid housing adjacent the open end of the U-shaped frame is across the open end of the frame.

Claim 18

The apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein the first pivot means and the means for resiliently biasing allow the means for actuating to translate the second end of the rigid housing toward the adjacent portion of the anvil means only after the first means for stopping stops the pivoting of the staple carrying means about the first pivotal axis.

Claim 19

The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the means for releasably engaging further comprises second pivot means adjacent the second end of the rigid housing for cooperating with the adjacent end portion of the first leg of the frame when the first means for stopping stops the pivoting of the staple carrying means about the first pivotal axis for allowing the staple carrying means to pivot about a second pivotal axis substantially parallel to the first pivotal axis.

Claim 20

The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein the means for mounting the staple carrying means further comprises means for causing the staple carrying means to move with a component of motion substantially parallel to the first leg of the frame during at least a portion of the pivotal motion of the staple carrying means about the second pivotal axis.

Claim 21

The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein the means for causing the staple carrying means to move with a component of motion substantially parallel to the first leg of the frame comprises a cam and a cam follower, one of which is associated with each of the staple carrying means and the U-shaped frame.

Claim 22

The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein the means for releasably engaging engages the first leg of the frame in response to the motion of the staple carrying means substantially parallel to the first leg of the frame.

Claim 23

The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein the means for releasably engaging engages the second leg of the frame in response to the pivoting of the staple carrying means about the second pivotal axis.

Claim 24

The apparatus defined in claim 21 wherein the means for mounting the staple carrying means further comprises second means for stopping the pivoting of the staple carrying means about the second pivotal axis when the staple carrying means is substantially parallel to the anvil means.

Claim 25

The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein, after the staple carrying means is in parallel relationship with the anvil means, the means for actuating drives a plurality of surgical staples from the staple carrying means, through tissue between the staple carrying means and the anvil means, and against the anvil means.

Claim 26

The apparatus defined in claim 23 wherein the staple carrying means carries staples adjacent only a portion of the length of the legs of the frame so that a portion of the tissue between the legs of the frame can remain unstapled after the staples have been driven.

Claim 27

The apparatus defined in claim 10 further comprising means responsive to release of the actuator means for causing the means for releasably engaging to release the legs of the U-shaped frame.

Claim 28

A surgical stapling instrument comprising: a frame having a U-shaped portion for accepting tissue to be stapled between the legs of the U; an anvil mounted on a first leg of the U; a staple carrying assembly movably mounted relative to the second leg of the U, the staple carrying assembly being mounted by means of a cam and cam follower connection between a portion of the staple carrying assembly remote from the open end of the U and the adjacent portion of the frame, the cam and cam follower being pivotable relative to one another; frame reinforcing means mounted on the portion of the staple carrying assembly adjacent the open end of the U; spring means for resiliently biasing the staple carrying assembly away from the anvil and for resiliently pivoting the staple carrying assembly about the cam and cam follower connection so that the frame reinforcing means is resiliently biased away from the open end of the U; and actuator means mounted relative to the second leg of the U for first pivoting the staple carrying assembly about the cam and cam follower connection so that the frame reinforcing means moves adjacent portions of both legs of the U adjacent the open end of the U, and thereafter causing the cam follower to traverse the cam so that the frame reinforcing means engages the adjacent portions of both legs of the U to prevent those portions of the frame from subsequently spreading apart during stapling of the tissue between the staple carrying assembly and the anvil.

Claim 29

A surgical stapling instrument comprising: a frame having a U-shaped portion for accepting tissue to be stapled between the legs of the U; an anvil mounted on a first leg of the U; a staple carrying assembly movably mounted relative to the second leg of the U, the staple carrying assembly being mounted by means of a cam and cam follower connection between a portion of the staple carrying assembly remote from the open end of the U and the adjacent portion of the frame, the cam and cam follower being pivotable relative to one another; frame reinforcing means mounted on the portion of the staple carrying assembly adjacent the open end of the U; spring means for resiliently biasing the staple carrying assembly away from the anvil and for resiliently pivoting the staple carrying assembly about the cam and cam follower connection so that the frame reinforcing means is resiliently biased away from the open end of the U; and actuator means mounted relative to the second leg of the U for first pivoting the staple carrying assembly about the cam and cam follower connection so that the frame reinforcing means moves adjacent portions of both legs of the U adjacent the open end of the U, and thereafter causing the cam follower to traverse the cam so that the frame reinforcing means engages the adjacent portions of both legs of the U to prevent those portions of the frame from subsequently spreading apart during stapling of the tissue between the staple carrying assembly and the anvil.

Claim 30

The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the frame reinforcing means engages both legs of the U during a first portion of the traverse of the cam by the cam follower, and wherein the staple carrying assembly clamps the tissue to be stapled against the anvil during a subsequent portion of the traverse of the cam by the cam follower.

Claim 31

The apparatus defined in claim 27 wherein, after the tissue to be stapled has been clamped, the actuator means drives a plurality of staples from the staple carrying assembly, through the tissue, and against the anvil.

Claim 32

The apparatus defined in claim 28 wherein the staple carrying assembly contains four parallel rows of staples.

Claim 33

The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the staple carrying assembly contains at least 50 staples, all of which are driven simultaneously by the actuator means.

Claim 34

The apparatus defined in claim 28 wherein a portion of the staple carrying assembly between (a) the cam and cam follower connection and (b) the frame reinforcing means is at all times spaced from the adjacent portion of the first leg of the U so that the adjacent portion of the tissue accepted in the frame is not clamped or stapled to provide a bypass around the stapled portion of the tissue.

Claim 35

The apparatus defined in claim 26 further comprising means for allowing the actuator means to return to its initial condition, in response to which the spring means causes the cam follower to traverse the cam in the opposite direction and the frame reinforcing means releases the legs of the U.

Claim 36

The apparatus defined in claim 26 further comprising means for allowing the actuator to return to its initial condition, in response to which the spring means causes the cam follower to traverse the cam in the opposite direction and then causes the staple carrying assembly to pivot about the cam and cam follower connection so that the frame reinforcing means moves away from the open end of the U to allow the tissue to be removed from between the legs of the U.

Claim 37

A surgical fastening instrument comprising: a U-shaped frame for accepting tissue to be fastened between the first and second legs of the frame; anvil means mounted on the first leg of the frame; fastener carrying means movably mounted relative to the second leg of the frame for clamping the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means and for driving at least one surgical fastener through the clamped tissue; actuator means mounted on the frame for moving the fastener carrying means relative to the second leg of the frame so that the fastener carrying means clamps the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means; and means for mounting the fastener carrying means relative to the frame so that the fastener carrying means responds to operation of the actuator means by first moving across and closing off the open side of the U-shaped frame and thereafter moving adjacent to the anvil means to clamp the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means.

Claim 38

A surgical fastening instrument comprising: a U-shaped frame for accepting tissue to be fastened between the first and second legs of the frame; anvil means mounted on the first leg of the frame; fastener carrying means movably mounted relative to the second leg of the frame for clamping the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means and for driving at least one surgical fastener through the clamped tissue; actuator means mounted on the frame for moving the fastener carrying means relative to the second leg of the frame so that the fastener carrying means clamps the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means; and means for mounting the fastener carrying means relative to the frame so that the fastener carrying means responds to operation of the actuator means by first moving across and closing off the open side of the U-shaped frame and thereafter moving adjacent to the anvil means to clamp the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means.

Claim 39

The apparatus defined in claim 34 wherein the means for mounting the fastener carrying means comprises: first means for causing the fastener carrying means to respond to operation of the actuator means by pivoting about a first pivotal axis adjacent the base of the U-shaped frame until the fastener carrying means has moved across and closed off the open side of the U-shaped frame; and second means for causing the fastener carrying means to respond to operation of the actuator means by pivoting about a second pivotal axis adjacent the open side of the U-shaped frame after the fastener carrying means has moved across and closed off the open side of the U-shaped frame.

Claim 40

The apparatus defined in claim 34 wherein the fastener carrying means includes means for automatically engaging the first leg of the frame adjacent the open side of the U-shaped frame after the fastener carrying means has moved across and closed off the open side of the U-shaped frame but before the fastener carrying means has fully clamped the tissue to be fastened against the anvil means.