Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Darrel M Powell

Richard F Schwemberger

Salvatore Privitera

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Christopher J Hess

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Michael A Murray

Jerome R Morgan

Steven G Hall

Edward A Rhad

William David Kelly

Randy R Stephens

Matthew R Otten

Todd J Olson

Robert G Cook

Ronald R VanOverloop

David J Keilholz

Thomas Knodell

Gary Steed

Eric Huffman

Ralph Chen

Dan Meiser

Mark S Ortiz

James Walden Voegele

William B Weisenburgh

Steven G Yapp

Jason L Harris

David C Yates

Mark S Zeiner

Michael J Stokes

Anil K Nalagatla

Warren P Williamson, Iv

Lawrence Crainich

Don Akira Tanaka

Robert Perrin Gill

Carl J Shurtleff

Jesse J Kuhns

Derek Berton Rund

Stephen C Robinson

Ii William B Weisenburgh

William B Ii Weisenburgh

A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied so as to apply various clamping forces and pressures to soft tissue captured within the staples. In at least one embodiment, the staples can include crowns formed thereon which can be utilized to adjust or control the clamping force and/or pressure applied by the staples.

Staple cartridge comprising a staple driver arrangement

A method of deploying a surgical fastener into a patient by introducing the fastener into a body of a patient while the fastener is in a first shape having a first loop with a back span and an original size and shape. The method then involves moving end segments of the fastener away from each other substantially along an entire length thereof while keeping the back span in substantially its original size and shape. The method then involves forming the fastener into a second loop having a width greater than a width of the first loop.

Surgical stapler for applying a large staple through a small delivery port and a method of using the stapler to secure a tissue fold

Methods and devices are provided for cutting and fastening tissue. In one embodiment, a surgical device can be used to at least partially transect a stomach by not cutting and/or not fastening a portion of tissue engaged in an end effector located at the device's distal end. A portion of the stomach can be engaged by the end effector, and the end effector can be actuated to cut and/or to apply one or more fasteners to tissue engaged in a distal portion of the end effector but not to cut and/or apply fasteners to tissue engaged in a proximal portion of the end effector. In a similar way, the surgical device can be used in any surgical procedure in which it is desired to cut and/or fasten a distal portion of tissue engaged by the end effector but not a proximal portion of tissue engaged by the end effector.

Methods and devices for cutting and fastening tissue

Methods and devices are provided for providing irrigation and/or suction to a surgical site and maintaining clear visibility through a lens of a scoping device during a surgical procedure. In general, the methods and devices can allow for a surgical instrument to maintain visibility during a surgical procedure using a fluid conduit coupled to the surgical instrument. A surgical device can include a sheath having at least one lumen extending therethrough configured to allow a surgical viewing instrument to be disposed therein. The sheath can also have a passageway extending therethrough configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough. The fluid conduit can be configured to be movable between positions that can allow alternative directions of fluid toward and/or away from a viewing element on the surgical instrument and fluid away from the viewing element and toward a surgical field in a body cavity.

Methods and devices for maintaining visibility and providing irrigation and/or suction during surgical procedures

Staple cartridges for forming staples having differing formed staple heights

An exemplary method of reducing the volume of a stomach comprises providing an adhesive applier and a biocompatible adhesive. The exemplary method further comprises introducing at least a portion of the adhesive applier into the stomach and dispensing the adhesive through the adhesive applier into the stomach. The adhesive may be applied between the submucosa and muscle layers of the stomach to reduce the volume of the stomach. The adhesive may alternatively be applied in layers onto the inner surface of the stomach. Alternatively, a non-expandable member may be introduced into the stomach, and an adhesive may be used to secure the non-expandable member to the stomach. Such uses may provide a treatment for morbid obesity. An adhesive may also be used to provide flow restriction, such as by injecting the adhesive between the submucosa and muscle layers of a cardia or rectum.

Use of biosurgical adhesive as bulking agent

An anastomotic ring device for forming a hollow rivet (ring) attachment between tissue lumens facilitates laparoscopic or endoscopic implantation by including features that facilitate actuation from a stressed, generally cylindrical shape. Economical manufacturer is achieved by weaving open ended strands into a generally cylindrical stent shape that is imparted with a Shape Memory Effect (SME) to actuate to a hollow rivet (ring) shape. Alternatively or in addition to SME inherent in the woven strands, an actuating force may be received from a helical spring element incorporated into the ring. Self-actuating ring devices are enhanced by forming woven strands into petals that diverge from opposing petals such that the strands encounter less friction when actuating. Each of these features alone or in combination enhance clinical use of anastomotic ring devices, such as a bariatric gastric bypass procedure.

Anastomosis wire ring device

An electrosurgical instrument is provided for cauterization and/or welding of tissue of varying impedance, thickness and vascularity especially in the performance of endoscopic procedures. The instrument compresses the tissue between one pole of a bipolar energy source located on one interfacing surface, and a second interfacing surface applying pressure in a predetermined range wherein one of the interfacing surfaces is positioned on an anvil with a specified preload and spring rate. A second pole is located one of the two interfacing surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the second pole is located on the same interfacing surface as the first pole and an insulator electrically isolates the two poles. A preferred application of the invention is in a cutting instrument wherein a hemostatic line is formed along a cut line using RF energy.

Electrosurgical hemostatic device including an anvil

A surgical trocar has a cannula assembly including a sleeve having a proximal end, a distal end and a passageway therethrough. A housing having an opening is located at the proximal end of the sleeve and is aligned with the passageway of the sleeve. The trocar also includes an obturator assembly which is insertable in the cannula assembly. The obturator assembly includes a handle and an obturator shaft. The obturator shaft has a proximal end connected to the handle and a distal end opposite the proximal end. A penetrating tip is located at the shaft distal end for penetrating tissue. A protector having a distal end is slidably disposed around the obturator shaft for covering the penetrating tip. The protector has an aperture at its distal end for permitting the penetrating tip to pass therethrough. The protector also includes a flexible proximal end movable against the obturator handle to expose the penetrating tip when a proximal force is asserted against the protector. The flexible proximal end of the protector includes a sinusoidal member for contacting the obturator handle.

Trocar having protector with sinusoidal member

A surgical trocar has a cannula assembly including a sleeve having a proximal end, a distal end and a passageway therethrough. A housing having an opening is located at the proximal end of the sleeve and is aligned with the passageway of the sleeve. The trocar also includes an obturator assembly which is insertable in the cannula assembly. The obturator assembly includes a handle and an obturator shaft. The obturator shaft has a proximal end connected to the handle and a distal end opposite the proximal end. A penetrating tip is located at the shaft distal end for penetrating tissue. A protector having a distal end is slidably disposed around the obturator shaft for covering the penetrating tip. The protector has an aperture at its distal end for permitting the penetrating tip to pass therethrough. The protector also includes a flexible proximal end movable against the obturator handle to expose the penetrating tip when a proximal force is asserted against the protector. A seal assembly is located in the housing for sealing against the obturator assembly or surgical instruments passed through the cannula assembly. The seal assembly includes an upper seal arrangement having an aperture. The seal assembly also includes a pressure seal located beneath the upper seal arrangement. The pressure seal includes a pair of side walls. At least one rib is located on the inner surface of each side wall.

Trocar having protector with flexible end and improved seal assembly

A surgical trocar has a cannula assembly including a sleeve having a proximal end, a distal end and a passageway therethrough. A housing having an opening is located at the proximal end of the sleeve and is aligned with the passageway of the sleeve. The trocar also includes an obturator assembly which is insertable in the cannula assembly. The obturator assembly includes a handle and an obturator shaft. The obturator shaft has a proximal end connected to the handle and a distal end opposite the proximal end. A penetrating tip is located at the shaft distal end for penetrating tissue. A protector having a distal end is slidably disposed around the obturator shaft for covering the penetrating tip. The protector has an aperture at its distal end for permitting the penetrating tip to pass therethrough. The protector also includes a flexible proximal end movable against the obturator handle to expose the penetrating tip when a proximal force is asserted against the protector.

Trocar having protector with flexible end

A safety-shielded trocar having an obturator with a linear cutting edge surface defining a base width substantially less than the diameter of the safety shield is disclosed. When the trocar is inserted through tissue, the tissue dilates from the width of the linear incision to accommodate the size of the safety shield of the trocar, thus making it possible to provide an access opening greater than the incisional width made by the linear cutting edge surface of the obturator. In a preferred embodiment, the safety shield has a shield tip region which is asymmetric to facilitate the dilation of the tissue as the trocar is inserted.

Trocar having an improved tip configuration

A trocar having an obturator with an obturator housing, a piercing tip and a rigid stem is disclosed. The piercing tip has a cutting edge surface and first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending away from the cutting edge surface. The stem is attached to the obturator housing at a first end of the obturator, and the legs of the piercing tip straddle the stem at an opposite end of the obturator. The straddling of the legs about the stem of the obturator fixes the piercing tip to the stem. The attachment of the piercing tip to the stem provides a secure attachment. The trocar is easy to manufacture and assemble, and the component parts can be readily disassembled. The piercing tip attachment is especially advantageous when the piercing tip is configured generally as a razor blade.

Trocar with improved blade attachment

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Darrel M Powell