Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Jason E Zerkle

Charles J Scheib

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Kevin L Houser

Mark D Overmyer

Emily A Schellin

Robert J Simms

Kevin D Sackett

Jeffrey C Gagel

Craig S Smith

Richard L Leimbach

Richard F Schwemberger

Omar J Vakharia

Christopher C Miller

Douglas B Hoffman

William D Fox

John P Measamer

Brian F Dinardo

Rodney V Clingaman

Brian W Bear

Matthew H Bolton

Jeffrey S Swayze

Barry C Worrell

Geoffrey S Strobl

Gregory A Trees

David Keith Norvell

Kevin M Montgomery

Johnny H Alexander, Iii

William R Stager

Timothy E Goode

Joseph T Kluener

Nicholas Fanelli

William Jason White

Janna B Volz

Nicholas D Courtwright

Gregory J Bakos

Adam R Dunki-Jacobs

Joshua R Uth

Ryan J Laurent

Christopher J Schall

Daniel L Baber

Jason M Rector

Gary S Jaworek

Frederick E Shelton

An apparatus includes a housing, an anvil, a backing member, and a concave surface. The housing has a plurality of staples and the anvil is opposed from the housing such that the anvil and the housing are configured to cooperate to clamp tissue. The anvil is configured to form staples ejected from the housing into the clamped tissue. The backing member is coupled with the anvil and the concave surface defines a gap between the backing member and an adjacent component of the apparatus. The anvil is configured to deflect in a direction towards the gap in response to actuation of the apparatus to at least one of clamp tissue or staple tissue.

Features to enhance staple height consistency in curved surgical stapler

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft, a stapling head assembly, and an anvil. The body includes a motor, a first user input feature, and a second user input feature. The first user input feature is operable to activate the motor. The shaft extends distally from the body. The stapling head assembly is positioned at a distal end of the shaft. The stapling head assembly includes an anvil coupling feature, at least one annular array of staples, and a staple driver. The second user input feature is operable to drive the anvil coupling feature longitudinally. The staple driver is operable to drive the at least one annular array of staples. The motor is operable to drive the staple driver. The anvil is configured to couple with the anvil coupling feature. The anvil is further configured to deform the staples driven by the staple driver.

Methods and systems for performing surgical stapling

Methods and systems for performing circular stapling

An electrosurgical device comprises a body, an end effector, a cutting member, and a shaft. The end effector includes a pair of jaws that are operable to deliver RF energy to tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The cutting member is operable to sever tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The shaft extends between the body and the end effector. The shaft includes an articulation section that is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Some versions include a rotation section that is distal to the articulation section. The rotation section is operable to rotate the end effector relative to the articulation section.

Articulation joint features for articulating surgical device

Surgical instruments are disclosed which comprise a firing assembly configured to apply a firing force to an end effector. The surgical instruments further comprise a firing force lockout configured to stop and/or prevent a firing stroke of the firing assembly.

Firing assembly comprising a lockout

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft in communication with the body, and an end effector in communication with the shaft. The end effector is operable to drive staples through tissue. The end effector comprises an anvil and a cartridge. The anvil is operable to move pivotally relative to the cartridge. The cartridge is positioned to drive staples upwardly toward the anvil. The cartridge comprises a plurality of protrusions operable to prevent lateral rocking of the anvil. The plurality of protrusions is pointed toward the anvil. In some versions, an alignment member and/or a lateral stabilization member may be used between the anvil and the cartridge.

Integrated tissue positioning and jaw alignment features for surgical stapler

A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, a stapling head assembly, an anvil, an anvil adjustment assembly, a trigger, and a lockout assembly. The stapling head assembly is operable to drive an annular array of staples. The anvil is configured to couple with the stapling head assembly. The anvil adjustment assembly includes a translating member, which translates relative to the body to thereby adjust the longitudinal position of the anvil relative to the stapling head assembly. The trigger is operable to actuate the stapling head assembly. The lockout assembly includes an electrically powered braking feature. A method of operating the surgical instrument includes providing the lockout assembly in a first state to permit translation of the translating member. The translating member is then translated. The lockout assembly is then transitioned to a second state to prevent further translation of the translating member.

Method of applying an annular array of staples to tissue

A surgical instrument includes an anvil, a staple applying assembly, an adjustment member, a user input feature, and a bailout assembly. The staple applying assembly includes a distal surface defining openings and a driver that is operable to drive an annular array of staples through the openings of the distal surface and into tissue. The adjustment member is operable to adjust the position of the anvil to thereby vary a gap distance defined between the anvil and the distal surface. The adjustment member includes a first section and a second section. The user input feature is operable to actuate the driver to thereby drive the staples. The bailout assembly is operable to selectively separate the first section of the adjustment member from the second section of the adjustment member.

Bailout assembly for surgical stapler

An end effector for use with a surgical instrument includes a first jaw, a second jaw, a blade assembly, and a lockout assembly. The first jaw removably couples with a staple cartridge. The second jaw is movably coupled with the first jaw. The blade assembly translates relative to the first jaw and includes a first tab. The lockout assembly includes a resilient member that biases the blade assembly to a lockout position. The lockout assembly engages the first tab of the blade assembly in the lockout position to prevent the blade assembly from translating distally relative to the first jaw when a staple cartridge is absent from the first jaw or when a spent staple cartridge is disposed in the first jaw.

Lockout feature for movable cutting member of surgical instrument

A apparatus includes a shaft, an end effector, an articulation joint, and a locking feature. The end effector is pivotable from a first position to a second position. The end effector is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the shaft in the first position and angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft in the second position. The articulation joint couples the shaft with the end effector and pivots the end effector from the first position to the second position. The locking feature is coupled with the articulation joint and translates from a proximal position to a distal position. The locking feature locks the articulation joint when the locking feature is in the distal position.

Surgical instrument with articulation lock having a detenting binary spring

An end effector for use with a surgical instrument includes a first jaw, a second jaw, and a closure ring. The second jaw is pivotable relative to the first jaw. The second jaw has a proximal end with a first ramped surface and a second ramped surface distal of the first ramped surface. The closure ring is coupled with the second jaw to engage the first and second ramped surfaces of the second jaw. The closure ring translates from a proximal position to a distal position to engage the first ramped surface of the second jaw and then the second ramped surface of the second jaw. The camming engagement of the closure ring with the first and second ramped surfaces of the second jaw pivots the second jaw toward the first jaw. The closure ring may also provide camming engagement to pivot the second jaw away from the first jaw.

Jaw closure feature for end effector of surgical instrument

Growing community of inventors

Blanchester, OH, United States of America

Jason E Zerkle