US4944295A — Suturing assembly

Claim 1

Independent Claim 144 words

A cartridge for holding a tissue-suturing staple, said cartridge comprising at least three separate pieces as follows: a carrier having a linear track formed thereon; and first and second opposite slidable jaws mounted on said carrier, each of said jaws having a follower means for engaging and riding on said linear track, a cartridge jaw gripper being attached to said follower means for engaging a staple, and a tool engagement means being attached to said follower means for mounting the cartridge on a tool for causing said first and second opposite slidable jaws to move linearly toward one another, whereby said cartridge can be selectively mounted on said tool by engaging each of the cartridge jaws with the tool and a staple can be placed between the jaw grippers for being compressed by linear movement of the jaw grippers upon manipulation of the tool.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 144 words

A cartridge for holding a tissue-suturing staple, said cartridge comprising at least three separate pieces as follows: a carrier having a linear track formed thereon; and first and second opposite slidable jaws mounted on said carrier, each of said jaws having a follower means for engaging and riding on said linear track, a cartridge jaw gripper being attached to said follower means for engaging a staple, and a tool engagement means being attached to said follower means for mounting the cartridge on a tool for causing said first and second opposite slidable jaws to move linearly toward one another, whereby said cartridge can be selectively mounted on said tool by engaging each of the cartridge jaws with the tool and a staple can be placed between the jaw grippers for being compressed by linear movement of the jaw grippers upon manipulation of the tool.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

A cartridge as in claim 1 wherein said cartridge is constructed of a deformable material and said staple is mounted in indentations on said carrier and said cartridge jaw grippers and is held therein by said deformable material.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 23 words

A cartridge as in claim 2 wherein said cartridge has sufficient number of indentations for holding and simultaneously closing a plurality of staples.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 58 words

A cartridge as in claim 1 wherein said carrier is formed of parallel rails being connected at a central portion of said carrier with slots therebetween having opposite open ends in which said follower means is mounted, said carrier further including stops molded thereon to prevent said jaw gripper follower means from leaving the ends of said slots.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 67 words

A cartridge as in claim 1 wherein the cartridge jaw grippers include indentations therein for contacting the ends of a C-shaped staple, said indentations being shaped with an overhang cross section so that as said jaw grippers are urged toward one another with said C-shaped staple therebetween, said indentations cause said staple ends to roll up toward one another to thereby bend said staple into overlapping loops.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 182 words

A tissue-suturing assembly comprising: at least one substantially C-shaped suturing staple having opposite legs each with a relatively sharp, tissue-piercing tip positioned across a staple mouth from the opposite tip, said at least one substantially C-shaped suturing fastener being constructed of a bendable material for retaining said relatively sharp, tissue-piercing tips in position once they are moved toward one another to pierce tissue positioned therebetween; and a cartridge means of deformable material for holding said substantially C-shaped suturing staple with its mouth open to allow insertion of tissue material into the mouth of the staple, said cartridge means having cartridge jaws for engaging the opposite staple legs which are movable toward one another to close the mouth of said staple, thereby causing the relatively sharp tips to pierce the tissue material in said mouth; wherein said deformable cartridge means has formed therein an indentation for embedding said staple with deformable material extending over said staple to thereby positively hold said staple in said indentation but to allow said staple to be removed from said indenation when said staple is applied to tissue.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 182 words

A tissue-suturing assembly comprising: at least one substantially C-shaped suturing staple having opposite legs each with a relatively sharp, tissue-piercing tip positioned across a staple mouth from the opposite tip, said at least one substantially C-shaped suturing fastener being constructed of a bendable material for retaining said relatively sharp, tissue-piercing tips in position once they are moved toward one another to pierce tissue positioned therebetween; and a cartridge means of deformable material for holding said substantially C-shaped suturing staple with its mouth open to allow insertion of tissue material into the mouth of the staple, said cartridge means having cartridge jaws for engaging the opposite staple legs which are movable toward one another to close the mouth of said staple, thereby causing the relatively sharp tips to pierce the tissue material in said mouth; wherein said deformable cartridge means has formed therein an indentation for embedding said staple with deformable material extending over said staple to thereby positively hold said staple in said indentation but to allow said staple to be removed from said indenation when said staple is applied to tissue.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

A tissue-suturing assembly as in claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of C-shaped suturing staples, each being embedded separately in an indentation of the plastilc cartridge and having deformable material extending thereover.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 116 words

A tissue suturing assembly comprising: a substantially C-shaped staple with rounded end legs and a relatively long central back constructed of a bendable material, said relatively long central back being sufficiently long so that when the end legs are simultaneously rolled inwardly toward each other to form bent, rolled up, loops having approximately the same radius as the round end legs, there will be approximately two overlapping spiraled loops formed thereby when the rolled-up loops come together in the middle; and a tool means for engaging said staple and rolling up the end legs thereof toward each other so as to form at least two complete, bent, overlapping loops which are approximately concentric with one another.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 116 words

A tissue suturing assembly comprising: a substantially C-shaped staple with rounded end legs and a relatively long central back constructed of a bendable material, said relatively long central back being sufficiently long so that when the end legs are simultaneously rolled inwardly toward each other to form bent, rolled up, loops having approximately the same radius as the round end legs, there will be approximately two overlapping spiraled loops formed thereby when the rolled-up loops come together in the middle; and a tool means for engaging said staple and rolling up the end legs thereof toward each other so as to form at least two complete, bent, overlapping loops which are approximately concentric with one another.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 29 words

A tissue suturing assembly as in claim 26 wherein the length of the C-shaped staple central back is at least three times the approximate radius of the rounded legs.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-07-30	1994-01-29	1994-07-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-07-30	1998-01-29	1998-07-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-07-30	2002-01-29	2002-07-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Suturing assembly

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag