Ethicon, Gmbh

Lindsay Epstein

Simon Cohn

Danial Paul Ferreira

Michael Cardinale

Jianxin Guo

Doug Souls

Mark D Kenyon

Xuelin Guo

Jared Schneider

Michael William Nordmeyer

Douglas Souls

A method of dispensing surgical fasteners includes providing an applicator instrument having a housing with a cartridge opening, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, a firing system disposed within the housing for dispensing surgical fasteners, and an actuator for activating the firing system. The method includes forming a surgical opening in tissue, inserting a distal end of the elongated shaft into the surgical opening, inserting a cartridge containing a plurality of first surgical fasteners into the cartridge opening, and engaging the actuator for dispensing one of the first surgical fasteners from the distal end of the elongated shaft. While maintaining the distal end of the elongated shaft inside the surgical opening, the cartridge is removed from the cartridge opening, a second cartridge containing a plurality of second surgical fasteners is inserted into the cartridge opening, and the actuator is engaged for dispensing one of the second surgical fasteners from the distal end of the elongated shaft.

Applicator instruments for dispensing surgical fasteners, the applicator instruments being controlled by surgical robots

Methods of using applicator instruments having insertable, changeable cartridges for dispensing surgical fasteners

An applicator instrument having a reconfigurable handle for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, a handle coupled with the proximal end of the housing, and a trigger coupled with the handle. The applicator instrument has a firing system including an energy storing assembly that is disposed within the housing, and a gear train disposed within the handle and coupled with the trigger. The trigger is squeezed for commencing a firing cycle and storing energy in the energy storing assembly. The applicator instrument includes a handle reconfiguration actuator having a first position for locking the handle in place relative to the housing and a second position for enabling the handle to rotate relative to the housing between a pistol configuration and an in-line configuration. The applicator instrument dispenses surgical fasteners with the handle in the pistol configuration, the in-line configuration, and at angles located between the pistol and in-line configurations.

Applicator instruments with reconfigurable handles for dispensing surgical fasteners

An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing, an elongated shaft having a proximal shaft section and an articulating distal shaft section extending from the housing, a firing system disposed within the housing, an actuator that is engageable for commencing a firing cycle of the firing system, and an articulation lever provided on the housing for selectively articulating the articulating distal shaft section of the elongated shaft. The applicator instrument includes a cam plate disposed within the housing that is linked with the articulating distal shaft section and that coupled with the articulation lever for being rotated by the articulation lever between a first or horizontal position for straightening the articulating distal shaft section and a second or vertical position for articulating the articulating distal shaft section. An over-center assembly is coupled with the cam plate for forcing the cam plate into either the first position for straightening the articulating distal shaft section or the second position for articulating the articulating distal shaft section.

Applicator instruments having articulating shafts for dispensing surgical fasteners

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Belle Mead, NJ, United States of America

Lindsay Epstein