Surgical instrument for applying fasteners having improved gap indicating means (Case V)

Claim 1

Is a surgical instrument for stitching tissue by means of staples said instrument comprising: a support body, a pair of jaws mounted at one end of said support body, a staple housing mounted in one of said jaws, means mounted on said support body for moving said jaw containing said staple housing towards the other jaw to close the gap and clamp tissue placed therebetween, drive means mounted on said support body for driving the staples from the jaw on which the staple housing is mounted towards the opposite jaw, actuating means mounted at the end of said support body opposite said end on which the jaws are mounted for actuating said staple drive means, the improvement comprising indicating means mounted adjacent the actuating means for indicating when an appropriate gap has been set between the jaws, said indicating means comprising a pointer member pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the support body with the other end of said pointer being a free end, a member mounted on the means for moving the jaw containing the staple housing to contact the pointer member adjacent its pivotal mount whereby slight movement of the means for moving the jaw containing the staple housing causes substantial movement of the free end of the pointer member.