Senco Products, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Senmed, Inc.

Robert G Rothfuss

Narinderjit S Sambi

David K Kuhl

Salvatore Privitera

James J Bedi

Gregory D Bishop

Livyn O Okorocha

Michael V Sherrill

J Charles Hueil

Federico Bilotti

Carl T Becht

Dale R Schulze

Michael A Murray

Hector Chow

Earl J Mills

Francis J Kramer

Hugh Melling

Terry A Boothby

William C Wise

Russell C Stone

Matthew H Wykoff

Michael Moore

Edwin L Stith, Jr

John MacLees

Paul A Coletti

A unique hernia repair stapler is described which allows the forming of staples to attach prosthetics to tissue, or to approximate herniated tissue. The staple is useful in endoscopic operations and may be rotatable or stationary. The stapler has a unique forming and ejecting mechanism; as well, there is the availability of a loading mechanism useful for both cartridges and magazines of staples. An improved staple shape allows for better staple alignment, especially in a multiple load device.

Multiple fire endoscopic stapling mechanism

A unique hernia repair stapler is described which allows the forming of staples to attach prosthetics to tissue, or to approximate herniated tissue. The staple is useful in endoscopic operations and may be rotatable or stationary. The stapler has a unique forming and electing mechanism; as well, there is the availability of a loading mechanism useful for both cartridges and magazines of staples. An improved staple shape allows for better staple alignment, especially in a multiple load device.

Endoscopic stapler and hernia repair mechanism

A guiding pocket for driving staples is described, in which a first set of parallel sides helps form the opening for the guiding pockets. These parallel sides are connected to tapered sides, which are in turn connected to a second pair of parallel sides, creating a hexagonal shaped pocket. The resultant pocket configuration possesses self-centering features, which in turn reduces jamming and misformed staples and allows for simpler manufacturing and inspection.

Pocket configuration for internal organ staplers

A disposable linear surgical stapler includes a handle, anvil, staple cartridge and flexible shaft attaching the handle to the cartridge and transmitting a firing force exerted at the handle to the distant cartridge for sequentially implanting, forming and clinching staples in two staggered staple lines. A flexible cable in the flexible shaft pulls a firing wedge across a plurality of staple drivers in the cartridge. The anvil is adjustable to vary the gap between the anvil and staple cartridge.

Disposable linear surgical stapler

A surgical stapling instrument suitable for performing a gastrointestinal anastomosis is provided. The stapling instrument incorporates a staple height adjusting mechanism which enables the gap between its jaw members to be adjusted to select different staple heights to be produced when the staples are formed. Preferably, the stapling instrument includes a pair of elongate jaw members, one of which supports a staple cartridge adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, and the other provided with an anvil adapted to form the staples. A pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to the jaw members sequentially drives the staples from the cartridge and forms the staples against the anvil to produce a pair of laterally spaced rows in the tissue. The pusher bar and knife assembly includes a knife blade for cutting the tissue along a line between the longitudinal staple rows. A set of jaw support members is carried by the knife blade which travel along the elongate jaw members as the pusher bar and knife assembly is advanced to provide local support to the jaw members. The angular orientation of the knife blade relative to the jaw members is adjustable by the staple height adjusting mechanism to vary the vertical spacing between the jaw support members as the gap between the jaw members is varied.

Surgical stapling instrument with staple height adjusting mechanism

A surgical stapling instrument suitable for performing a gastrointestinal anastomosis is provided. The stapling instrument incorporates an improved staple actuator mechanism operable by separate control buttons to accomplish its stapling and cutting actions in two stages. The two stage operation of the stapling instrument reduces the maximum force required to operate the instrument. The improved actuator mechanism permits selection of different staple heights to be produced by the same instrument. In addition, the actuator mechanism is designed to stabilize the upper and lower jaw members by providing longitudinal and lateral support along substantially the entire length of the operative portions of the jaw members. Preferably, the actuator mechanism comprises an elongated, I-beam structure slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the jaw members. The I-beam assembly includes upper and lower flanges which provide both longitudinal and lateral support along substantially the entire length of the anvil and staple cartridge carrying portions of the jaw members. A sleeve slidably mounted on one of the I-beam flanges allows the spacing of the jaw members to be adjusted to produce one of two predetermined closed staple heights.

Surgical stapling instrument with dual staple height mechanism

A tissue retention spool is disposed on the anvil actuating rod of an intraluminal anastomotic surgical stapling instrument. Tubular tissue is gathered and held on the spool by a suture tie, thus eliminating the previously required purse-stringing procedure. The spool and rod are constructed to initially resist relative sliding motion as the spool is withdrawn into the staple carrier/cylindrical scalpel area prior to setting of staples and internal tissue excision. The combined spool and instrument serve to hold tubular tissue in an erect, closed condition, facilitating the use of closed surgical techniques, without purse-stringing, in limited access areas such as lower colon resections. Alternative spools and methods are included.

Tissue retention spool for intraluminal anastomotic surgical stapling

A disposable ligator for applying clamping clips to veins, arteries and blood vessels. The ligator comprises a first handle terminating at its forward end in a first jaw and a second jaw and a second handle, both pivotally mounted on the first handle near the forward end thereof. The handles are shiftable between open and closed positions and shift the jaws between open and closed clip-clamping positions. A clip tube containing a plurality of clips and a spring biased feeder shoe to constantly urge the clips forwardly therein is mounted in the first handle. A pusher is mounted in the first handle parallel to the clip tube in a pusher track which extends to the forward ends of the jaws. The pusher is shiftable by the first and second handles between a retracted position when the handles are closed and an extended position to locate a clip in the pusher track at the forward ends of the jaws when the handles are open. The first handle provides a ramp structure leading to the pusher track at the forward end of the clip tube which is covered by the pusher when in its extended position and exposed by the pusher when in its retracted position, thus enabling the forwardmost clip to be transferred to the pusher track in front of the pusher due to the forward urging of the clips in the clip tube, and without the necessity of moving transfer parts.

Ligator

A manually actuated surgical staple extractor comprising upper and lower handles pivotally joined together and swingable between open and closed positions. The upper handle terminates at its forward end in a pair of thin, flat, laterally extending stops separated by a blade-receiving slot. The forwardmost portions of the stops lie in an obtuse angle to the upper handle and are joined together by a thin, coplanar, forwardly projecting, U-shaped anvil. The lower handle terminates in a thin blade. When the handles are in their open positions, the blade is located in the above noted slot with its lower edge above the anvil. When the handles are shifted toward each other to their closed positions, the blade pivots downwardly so that it passes through the U-shaped anvil to a position therebelow. The blade and the anvil are so configured that, as the blade passes through the anvil, there is clearance therebetween to either side of the blade, the clearance being at least equal to the diameter of the crown portion of the staple.

Extractor for surgical staples

A surgical stapling system comprising a surgical stapling instrument and a staple-carrying cartridge therefor. The surgical stapling instrument comprises a pliers-like instrument having upper and lower handles pivotally joined together. The upper handle has an elongated front portion terminating in an anvil. A staple former is slidably mounted on the front portion and is axially shiftable thereon by the lower handle between a normal or retracted position and a staple forming position. Cooperating leaf springs are mounted on each of the handles to normally urge the handles apart and the former to its retracted position. Portions of the leaf springs cooperate to lock the former in a staple gripping position. The cartridge comprises an elongaged member having a plurality of transverse slots formed in its upper surface and in parallel spaced relationship. A surgical staple of inverted U-shaped configuration, having downwardly depending legs and a crown portion extending therebetween, is located in each transverse slot. Each transverse slot is of a length such that its ends frictionally engage the legs of the surgical staple therein. A longitudinal groove is formed in the upper surface of the cartridge, extending the length of the cartridge and intersecting the transverse slots therein. The longitudinal groove is of a width and depth such as to receive the surgical stapling instrument nose portion with the staple former above and the anvil surface below the crown of an individual staple in the cartridge, so that the crown of the staple may be engaged between the instrument former and the anvil surface and extracted from the cartridge by the surgical stapling instrument.

Surgical stapling instrument and cartridge therefor

A device for emplacing a purse-string suture in a severed end of a colon or other tubular structure. The device is generally barrette-like and has teeth on the upper and lower jaws which are mutually opposed so as to compress the tissue placed between the jaws and to permit tissue to bulge out into spaces between the respective teeth. Each jaw is provided with a needle guide or track through which a straight needle and suture may be passed and in passing through the needle track it will pass through the bulged out portions of the tissue. To emplace a purse-string suture, the needle is passed through one of the jaws in one direction and then looped around and passed through the other jaw in the opposite direction. A cutting guide is provided for severing excess tissue to provide a suitable cuff.

Purse-stringer

A disposable surgical stapling instrument for the joining together of tubular body organs such as the organs of the alimentary canal. The instrument comprises an elongated body having a tubular housing portion and a coaxial cylindrical handle portion. The tubular housing portion supports at its free end a coaxial cylindrical casing containing at least one annular array of surgical staples. An adjusting rod is coaxially and non-rotatively mounted within the instrument body and has a first end extending beyond the staple-containing casing. An anvil, of improved configuration for easier removal from the anastomotic site, is removably mounted by means of an anvil nut on the first end of the adjusting rod facing the staple-containing casing. By means of an adjustment knob at the free end of the instrument body handle portion, the anvil and the adjusting rod are shiftable axially of the instrument body between a position wherein the anvil is adjacent the staple-containing casing and a position wherein the anvil is spaced from the staple-containing casing. The anvil has a plurality of anvil pockets formed therein to clinch the staples over a range of distances between the anvil and the staple casing constituting a working gap. The adjustment rod has a second end mounting an indicator cooperating with the adjustment knob to give both visual and tactile indications that the anvil is spaced from the staple casing within the operating gap. A ring scale is mounted on the adjusting knob enabling accurate setting of the distance between the anvil and the staple casing, within the working gap, according to the thickness of the tissue of the tubular body organs being joined. The instrument is also provided with a lever actuated staple driver and scalpel assembly and a slide safety lockout to prevent undesired actuation of the lever.

Intralumenal anastomosis surgical stapling instrument

A tissue thickness measuring instrument for surgical purposes comprising a pair of opposed tissue engaging jaws. Manually graspable actuating means operatively connected to the jaws for shifting the jaws away from each other. A resilient means urges the jaws toward each other with a substantially constant predetermined force over a predetermined working range of separation distance between the jaws. At least one scale with cooperating indicator is provided in association with the jaw actuating means giving a direct reading of the thickness of the tissue being measured. The instrument may be provided with another scale by which the diameter of tubular body elements in the flaccid state can be determined.

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Bellevue, KY, United States of America

Robert G Rothfuss