Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
301 words
A surgical stapling device for forming and implanting a staple formed of a deformable wire and having a pair of parallel limbs bridged by a straight crosspiece into the skin of a patient undergoing a surgical procedure, the device comprising: A. a housing having an outlet; B. a rail disposed in the housing having a row of staples straddled thereon and a metal mandrel projecting from the front end of the rail into the outlet; C. pusher means on said rail to advance said row toward said mandrel to cause the foremost staple to be deposited on the mandrel, the mandrel being a solid plate and having an arched shape and being flanked on opposite sides by a pair of abutments on the front end of the rail; D. a plate-like former disposed in the housing, the leading edge of the former having a recess therein leading to a complementary arched section which conforms to the arched shape of the mandrel, said former being normally retracted from the mandrel to assume an inoperative position; and E. actuating means operatively coupled to the former to advance the former from its inoperative position to slide along the abutments at the front end of the rail to an operative position, in the course of which the mandrel is received within the recess in the former and the limbs of the staple engaged by the leading edge of the former are extended from the outlet to a degree sufficient to penetrate the skin of a patient on opposite sides of an incision to be closed, the deformable limbs being caused to bend inwardly by the coacting former and mandrel toward each other to close the incision, and the deformable crosspiece being bent to create an arched air gap above the skin to accommodate post-operative swelling.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
301 words
A surgical stapling device for forming and implanting a staple formed of a deformable wire and having a pair of parallel limbs bridged by a straight crosspiece into the skin of a patient undergoing a surgical procedure, the device comprising: A. a housing having an outlet; B. a rail disposed in the housing having a row of staples straddled thereon and a metal mandrel projecting from the front end of the rail into the outlet; C. pusher means on said rail to advance said row toward said mandrel to cause the foremost staple to be deposited on the mandrel, the mandrel being a solid plate and having an arched shape and being flanked on opposite sides by a pair of abutments on the front end of the rail; D. a plate-like former disposed in the housing, the leading edge of the former having a recess therein leading to a complementary arched section which conforms to the arched shape of the mandrel, said former being normally retracted from the mandrel to assume an inoperative position; and E. actuating means operatively coupled to the former to advance the former from its inoperative position to slide along the abutments at the front end of the rail to an operative position, in the course of which the mandrel is received within the recess in the former and the limbs of the staple engaged by the leading edge of the former are extended from the outlet to a degree sufficient to penetrate the skin of a patient on opposite sides of an incision to be closed, the deformable limbs being caused to bend inwardly by the coacting former and mandrel toward each other to close the incision, and the deformable crosspiece being bent to create an arched air gap above the skin to accommodate post-operative swelling.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rail is formed of plastic material and said mandrel is formed of steel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pusher means is a spring-biased shoe which rides on said rail.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the trailing end of the former is bent to form a lug for advancing the former.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said actuating means is constituted by a handle which is pivoted to the housing and is biased to normally swing outwardly therefrom, said handle having a slot in its nose in which the former lug is received, whereby when the handle is swung inwardly toward the housing, the former is advanced thereby.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mandrel arch has an arcuate form, and said recess conforms thereto.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mandrel arch has a three-sided geometric form, and said recess conforms thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing is formed by a pair of complementary molded plastic pieces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said mandrel is provided with a blade-like rear anchor which is embedded in the front end of the plastic rail.