Applied Medical Resources Corporation

Kimball B McGinley

Scott V Taylor

Henry Kahle

Gary M Johnson

Arkadiusz A Strokosz

John R Brustad

Jeremy J Albrecht

Donald L Gadberry

Steven Gorski

Jonathan R Nash

Christian A Halvorsen

Jonathan Von Stein

Alan Bylund

John Stout

Robert Bradshaw

A powered handle for a surgical stapler can have a drive system including an electric motor. The powered handle can include a manual return mechanism. The powered handle can also include a retention mechanism to prevent unintentional movement of drivetrain components upon actuation of the manual return mechanism. For example, the retention mechanism can apply a direction-dependent frictional force on an actuation shaft of the handle assembly to prevent unintentional movement of the actuation shaft towards a distal end of the handle assembly. The retention mechanism can include a featherboard-like configuration with a plurality of ribs oriented transversely to the actuation shaft to restrict movement of the actuation shaft in one direction while allowing movement of the shaft in the opposite direction.

Actuation shaft retention mechanism for surgical stapler

A laparoscopic suturing device is provided. The suturing device can pass a suturing needle back and forth between jaws of a jaw assembly to suture tissue at a surgical site in a minimally invasive procedure. The jaw assembly can have a pivotable jaw member in each jaw to position the jaw assembly and needle in a low-profile stowed configuration for insertion through a low diameter surgical port. The jaw assembly can be actuated by a handle assembly that provides simultaneous needle passing from a driving jaw to a receiving jaw and latching the needle within the receiving jaw in a single trigger cycle.

Laparoscopic suturing system

A surgical access port or trocar is provided. The trocar has a trocar seal housing and a trocar cannula with an optical obturator insertable through the trocar seal housing and the trocar cannula. The trocar is configured to access a body cavity, to maintain positive pressure and to prevent loss of surgical insufflation gas used in laparoscopic procedures. The trocar seal housing can be releasably attached to the trocar cannula. The trocar seal housing may also have a shield and/or alignment channel that provide protection or assist in operation of instrument and zero seals housed in the trocar seal housing.

Surgical access port

The invention is directed to a bladeless trocar obturator to separate or divaricate body tissue during insertion through a body wall. In one aspect, the obturator of the invention comprises a shaft extending along an axis between a proximal end and a distal end; and a bladeless tip disposed at the distal end of the shaft and having a generally tapered configuration with an outer surface, the outer surface extending distally to a blunt point with a pair of side sections having a common shape and being separated by at least one intermediate section, wherein each of the side sections extends from the blunt point radially outwardly with progressive positions proximally along the axis, and the shaft is sized and configured to receive an optical instrument having a distal end to receive an image of the body tissue. With this aspect, the tapered configuration facilitates separation of different layers of the body tissue and provides proper alignment of the tip between the layers. The side sections include a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of the side sections being twisted radially with respect to the proximal portion of the side sections. The intermediate section includes a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of the intermediate section being twisted in a first radial direction and the proximal portion of the intermediate section being twisted in a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction.

Bladeless optical obturator

The invention is directed to a bladeless trocar obturator to separate or divaricate body tissue during insertion through a body wall. In one aspect, the obturator of the invention includes a shaft extending along an axis between a proximal end and a distal end; and a bladeless tip disposed at the distal end of the shaft and having a generally tapered configuration with an outer surface, the outer surface extending distally to a blunt point with a pair of side sections having a common shape and being separated by at least one intermediate section, wherein each of the side sections extends from the blunt point radially outwardly with progressive positions proximally along the axis, and the shaft is sized and configured to receive an optical instrument having a distal end to receive an image of the body tissue. With this aspect, the tapered configuration facilitates separation of different layers of the body tissue and provides proper alignment of the tip between the layers. The side sections include a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of the side sections being twisted radially with respect to the proximal portion of the side sections. The intermediate section includes a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of the intermediate section being twisted in a first radial direction and the proximal portion of the intermediate section being twisted in a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction.

A surgical access device comprising a tissue separating obturator suitable for connection with a cannula is disclosed. The obturator includes an elongate shaft having a transparent distal tip. The elongate shaft extends along a longitudinal axis and defines a lumen. The transparent distal tip has a tapered configuration and includes an inner surface and an outer surface adapted for penetrating tissue. The lumen is sized and configured to receive an optical instrument such as a laparoscope. The surgical access device further includes a scope lock at the proximal end of the shaft portion. The lock includes a multi-fingered collet coaxial with the lumen. The inner diameter of the collet is smaller than an outer diameter of the optical instrument and the fingers of the collet provide frictional engagement with the outer diameter of the optical instrument that is inserted into the lumen of the obturator.

A surgical access device or trocar defines an access channel for instruments extending from a proximal end to the distal end thereof. The trocar comprises a cannula and a seal assembly disposed at the proximal end of the cannula. The seal assembly comprises a first or zero seal, a second or instrument seal, and a trocar shield disposed proximally of the first seal and the second seal. The first seal seals the access channel in the absence of an instrument extending therethrough. The second seal seals the access channel in the presence of an instrument extending therethrough. The trocar shield protects the first seal and second seal from damage as an instrument is advanced through the access channel. The trocar shield comprises an open proximal end and a tapered distal end comprising a plurality of longitudinal pleats, converging in an opening.

Pleated trocar shield

Gel materials, and surgical devices containing gel materials, having reduced tackiness while retaining low durometer, high tear strength, high elongation, high compliance, and resistance to compression are described.

Growing community of inventors

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, United States of America

Kimball B McGinley