Other

Stryker Sales Corporation

Porta Systems Corporation

Innovative Surgical Devices, Inc.

Robert R Oddsen

Thomas E Sloane, Jr

Ralph Ger

Owen M Gwathmey

Paul V De Luca

Helmut Neuwirth

A surgical procedure is disclosed for joining, e.g., by stapling or clipping, body tissue of a patient situated in an internal body cavity of the patient from within the body cavity through a small opening into the body cavity. For example, the surgical procedure may be employed to repair indirect inquinial or femoral hernias in a laparoscopic procedure. A small opening is made into the body cavity at a site on the patient's body remote from the body tissue to be joined in the internal body cavity. The body cavity is insufflated. An elongate tissue-joining instrument is inserted into the body cavity through the small opening. The instrument is moved through the insufflated internal body cavity to position a distal end of the instrument close to and on an internal side of the body tissue to be joined in the body cavity. The pieces of body tissue are then joined by the instrument by manipulation of the instrument at a proximal end thereof.

Surgical procedure for joining tissue in an internal body cavity

A surgical instrument and method for joining internal body tissue are disclosed. In the preferred embodiment the instrument staples a hernial opening in internal body tissues of a patient comprises an elongate staple cartridge rotatably mounted to an elongate frame at a distal end thereof and an elongate staple forming plate movably mounted to the frame for ejecting a staple from the cartridge into the body tissues of the patient and deforming the staple from an open position to a closed position in which the staple holds together two pieces of body tissue on opposite sides of the hernial opening. The instrument further includes a rotator assembly operatively connected to the cartridge for rotating the cartridge from an orientation aligned with the frame means to a staple ejection orientation transverse to the frame. A tissue positioning assembly separate from the staple forming plate is provided for gripping, approximating and temporarily holding together in a stapling position the two pieces of body tissue prior to and during a stapling operation.

Surgical suturing instrument and method

A tissue suturing method involves C-shaped suturing staples (16) embedded in a cartridge (14) formed of a carrier (18) and opposite cartridge jaws (20 and 22). The opposite cartridge jaws are moved linearly along a track in the carrier to bend the C-shaped staples into spiraling overlapping loops by a separate elongated pliers-like clamping tool (12). The cartridge jaws selectively engage the pliers-like tool jaws (90) so that a loaded cartridge can be mounted on the pliers-like tool, the suturing staples mounted therein can be rolled up from their ends to theregy pass through tissues positioned in mouths of the staples, the cartridge can be removed from the pliers-like tool jaws, and a new loaded cartridge can be mounted on the pliers-like tool jaws to repeat this process. An equalizer mechanism (84) is included on the pliers-like tool to cause opposite jaws of the pliers-like tool to move correspondingly uniformed distances.

Staple suturing method

A surgical instrument for suturing a hernial opening in internal body tissues of a patient comprises an elongate staple cartridge rotatably mounted to an elongate frame at a distal end thereof and an elongate staple forming plate movably mounted to the frame for ejecting a staple from the cartridge into the body tissues of the patient and deforming the staple from an open position to a closed position in which the staple holds together two pieces of body tissue on opposite sides of the hernial opening. The instrument further includes a rotator assembly operatively connected to the cartridge for rotatating the cartridge from an orientation aligned with the frame means to a staple ejection orientation transverse to the frame. A tissue positioning assembly separate from the staple forming plate is provided for gripping, approximating and temporarily holding together in a stapling position the two pieces of body tissue prior to and during a stapling operation.

A tissue suturing assembly (10) and method involves C-shaped suturing staples (16) embedded in a cartridge (14) formed of a carrier (18) and opposite cartridge jaws (20 and 22). The opposite cartridge jaws are moved linearly along a track in the carrier to bend the C-shaped staples into spiraling overlapping loops by a separate elongated pliers-like clamping tool (12). The cartridge jaws selectively engage the pliers-like tool jaws (90) so that a loaded cartridge can be mounted on the pliers-like tool, the suturing staples mounted therein can be rolled up from their ends to thereby pass through tissues positioned in mouths of the staples, the cartridge can be removed from the pliers-like tool jaws, and a new loaded cartridge can be mounted on the pliers-like tool jaws to repeat this process. An equalizer mechanism (84) is included on the pliers-like tool to cause opposite jaws of the pliers-like tool to move correspondingly uniformed distances.

Suturing assembly

Suturing assembly and method

A test shoe adapted to engage a discrete area on a telephone connector block normally mounted upon a telephone main frame for the purpose of interfacing with a plurality of individual subscriber circuits appearing on the block through protector modules. The shoe is configured to afford adequate clearance with respect to the projecting handles on the modules, the shoe being mounted in position by the engagement of a resiliently urged laterally moving latch released by push button means accessible from an outer surface of the shoe.

Telephone test shoe having resilient latching means

An automatic system for the surveillance of the incremental speeds of production equipment including a pair of rotary driven gears rotatable about a common axis and in face to face relation. The rotary driven members are independently driven by activating stepping, cocking means including a pulse energized solenoid. An arm laterally movable in response to said pulse extends from a position adjacent the solenoid. Adjacent the forward end of the arm there is a coil spring frictionally maintained in engagement around a shaft and having an extension adapted to be engaged by said arm. A leaf spring is disposed rearwardly of the extension of said coil spring. When the arm moves in response to the pulse it contacts and rotates the coil spring and also moves the leaf spring into taut or cocked position. When the arm is released by the interruption of the pulse the leaf spring is also released as well as the coil spring. The reciprocating action causes the leaf spring to engage the coil spring extension and in then the coil spring to slightly tighten on the shaft to move the shaft one increment. A driving gear carried below the coil spring on the same shaft is thereupon rotated one increment and being in contact with one of the driven rotary gears drives it to the same extent. When a differential in rate of rotation of the rotary gears occurs, sensing means signal such difference to permit the situation to be corrected.

Growing community of inventors

Centerport, NY, United States of America

Robert R Oddsen