United States Surgical Corporation

Robert C Savage

Lisa W Heaton

Mitchell J Palmer

Robert J Geiste

David T Green

Keith L Milliman

Jon S Wilson

Richard C McClure

Jeffrey J Blewett

Joseph F Zuzick, Jr

Paul M Kasarauskas

Richard C Mcclure

Henry E Holsten

Henry R Sienkiewicz

Salvatore Castro

Jude S Sauer

Keith Ratcliff

Roger J Greenwald

William J Allen

Randolph F Lehn

Jeffrey A Stein

Stanley J Malinowski

Christopher W Maurer

Graham W Bryan

Mark A Bovard

Douglas M Dunklee

Alan B Bachman

Richard L Markus

John F Klinger

Wasim Munawar

Stephen A DeFonzo

Deborah M Bryan

A surgical stapler is disclosed including a first body portion supporting an anvil plate defining a fastener forming surface, and a second body portion releasably mating with the first body portion. A disposable loading unit is removably supported in the second body portion and includes a cartridge defining a plurality of slots, a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the slots, a plurality of ejectors positioned adjacent the surgical fasteners, and a wedged actuator for sequentially interacting with the ejectors. An elongated actuation member is mounted for longitudinal movement within the second body portion and is releasably engageable with the wedged actuator. A locking mechanism having a locking member and a biasing member is included in the second body portion.

Surgical stapler

A surgical stapler is disclosed which includes a first body portion supporting an anvil plate defining a fastener forming surface, and a second body portion configured to releasably mate with the first body portion. A disposable loading unit is removably supported in the second body portion and includes a cartridge defining a plurality of slots, a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the slots, a plurality of ejectors positioned adjacent the surgical fasteners, and a wedged actuator configured to enter into and translate through the cartridge to sequentially interact with the ejectors. An elongated actuation member is mounted for longitudinal movement within the second body portion and is releasably engagable with the wedged actuator, whereby longitudinal movement of the actuation member causes the wedged actuator to interact with the ejectors, driving the surgical fasteners from the cartridge to be formed against the anvil plate.

There is provided a surgical coil fastener applier for use in applying helical coil fasteners in surgical procedures, such as hernia repair, to affix surgical mesh to tissue. The coil fastener applier includes a housing having a handle extending therefrom and a trigger pivotally mounted on the housing. An elongated tubular portion extends from the housing and includes a drive rod rotatably supported therein and slidably supporting a plurality of coil fasteners thereon. A drive assembly is provided within the housing to rotate the drive rod and coil fasteners. The drive assembly includes an anti-reverse mechanism to allow rotation of the drive rod in only one direction. An actuation assembly is provided within the housing to convert the motion of the trigger into rotary motion for supply to the drive assembly. The drive assembly includes structure to limit the amount of rotary motion supplied to the drive assembly. The drive assembly further includes a ratchet and pawl mechanism to prevent a partial cycling of the coil fastener applier. Also provided are various coil fasteners for use with the coil fastener applier.

Coil fastener applier

A surgical retractor is disclosed having a handle portion, an elongated body portion extending distally from the handle portion and including an outer tube, a stabilizing member extending from a distal end of the outer tube and a pair of resilient bands pivotably connected to a distal end portion of the stabilizing member. An actuation mechanism is provided which is associated with the handle portion and the resilient bands for moving the bands between open and closed position. The surgical retractor further includes a sheath dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the stabilizing member and the bands. A surgical kit is also provided having a package configured to receive a surgical instrument, a base member for sealing the package, a surgical instrument having proximal and distal ends and having a mechanism for performing a surgical procedure located at the distal end, and a static barrier for enclosing the mechanism of the surgical retractor.

Surgical retractor

A tagging device for marking the location of lesions within the body prior to a surgical procedure such as excision or biopsy. The device includes an elongated tube having one end supported on a housing and a second end extending distally therefrom. An anchor is positioned within the distal end of the elongated tube and has an elongated member extending proximally therefrom. An actuation assembly including a plunger is movable within the tube to engage and push the anchor from the distal end of the tube. The anchor and the actuation assembly are positioned and configured such that the anchor is pivoted from a position parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube to a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube as it as being pushed from the tube.

Tissue tagging device

A surgical stapler is disclosed which includes a first body portion supporting an anvil which defines a fastener forming surface and a second body portion configured to releasably mate with the first body portion and having an elongate retention channel extending from a distal end thereof. A first disposable loading unit is provided which is configured to be removably supported in the retention channel and which includes a staple housing carrying a plurality of staples arranged in at least two parallel rows which, when applied to body tissue, form staple lines having a first lengthwise dimension. A second disposable loading unit is provided which is configured to be removably supported in the retention channel and which includes a staple housing carrying a plurality of staples arranged in at least two parallel rows which, when applied to body tissue, form staple lines having a second lengthwise dimension different from that of the staple lines formed by the first loading unit. The loading units and stapler can be packaged as a kit.

Surgical stapler having interchangeable loading units

A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes a frame portion, an elongated portion extending from the frame portion, and an articulating fastener applying assembly associated with a distal end of the elongated portion. The fastener applying assembly includes a base portion, a staple cartridge housing, and an anvil member which has a forming surface thereon against which surgical fasteners are driven as they are ejected from the cartridge housing. A serf contained pneumatic system is associated with the frame portion and is actuable to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly. A first mechanism is provided for effectuating the rotation of the fastener applying assembly about an axis defined by the body portion, a second mechanism is provided for effectuating the articulation of the fastener applying assembly, and a third mechanism is provided for independently rotating the cartridge housing and anvil member relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the base position to increase the range of operability of the apparatus.

Self contained gas powered surgical apparatus

A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes a frame portion, an elongated portion extending from the frame portion, and an articulating fastener applying assembly associated with a distal end of the elongated portion. The fastener applying assembly includes a base portion, a staple cartridge housing, and an anvil member which has a forming surface thereon against which surgical fasteners are driven as they are ejected from the cartridge housing. A self contained pneumatic system is associated with the frame portion and is actuable to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly. A first mechanism is provided for effectuating the rotation of the fastener applying assembly about an axis defined by the body portion, a second mechanism is provided for effectuating the articulation of the fastener applying assembly, and a third mechanism is provided for independently rotating the cartridge housing and anvil member relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the base position to increase the range of operability of the apparatus.

A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes an anvil member and a surgical fastener cartridge member mounted to the distal end of an elongated endoscopic portion. A tubular collar of the endoscopic portion moves distally to engage the anvil member and bias the anvil member and the cartridge member into cooperative alignment, thereby clamping body tissue to be fastened between the anvil member and the cartridge member. A self contained pneumatic system is disposed in the surgical apparatus and is actuable to eject and/or form the surgical fasteners in the clamped body tissue. The apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism for preventing approximation of the anvil member and the cartridge. In one embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which prevents approximation of the jaws when the jaws are either misaligned or improperly inserted into the instrument. In a second embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar preventing approximation of the jaws when a cartridge member is not fully inserted. In a third embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar when an unfired cartridge is not present or properly inserted into the instrument.

Lockout mechanism for surgical apparatus

Surgical apparatus

A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes an anvil member and a surgical fastener cartridge member mounted to the distal end of an elongated endoscopic portion. A tubular collar of the endoscopic portion moves distally to engage the anvil member and bias the anvil member and the cartridge member into cooperative alignment, thereby clamping body tissue to be fastened between the anvil member and the cartridge member. A self contained pneumatic system is disposed in the surgical apparatus and is actuable to eject and/or form the surgical fasteners in the clamped body tissue. The apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism for preventing approximation of the anvil member and the cartridge. In one embodiment, a clamping interlock is shown which prevents approximation of the jaws when the jaws are either misaligned or improperly inserted into the instrument. In a second embodiment, a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar preventing approximation of the jaws when a cartridge member is not fully inserted. In a third embodiment, a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar when an unfired cartridge is not present or properly inserted into the instrument.

A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes an anvil member and a surgical fastener cartridge member mounted to the distal end of an elongated endoscopic portion. A tubular collar of the endoscopic portion moves distally to engage the anvil member and bias the anvil member and the cartridge member into cooperative alignment, thereby clamping body tissue to be fastened between the anvil member and the cartridge member. A self contained pneumatic system is disposed in the surgical apparatus and is actuable to eject and/or form the surgical fasteners in the clamped body tissue. The apparatus further comprises a locking member for preventing approximation of the anvil member and the cartridge. In one embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which prevents approximation of the jaws when the jaws are either misaligned or improperly inserted into the instrument. In a second embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar preventing approximation of the jaws when a cartridge member is not fully inserted. In a third embodiment a clamping interlock is shown which directly engages the tubular collar when an unfired cartridge is not present or properly inserted into the instrument.

Growing community of inventors

Stratford, CT, United States of America

Robert C Savage