Staple cartridge and feed means for use with a surgical stapling

Abstract

A staple cartridge and feed means for use with a surgical stapling instrument of the type having an anvil about which a staple is formed during emplacement thereof in the skin or fascia of a patient. The cartridge comprises a body having a vertical staple feeding track adapted to hold a stack of staples and a separate vertical staple forming track with a staple former reciprocable therein by the surgical stapling instrument. The staple forming track and the staple feeding track are in parallel relationship separated by a divider wall. A window, defined by the cartridge body and the divider wall, provides a horizontal path between the staple feeding track and the staple forming track and is so sized as to permit the passage therethrough of a single staple from the bottom of the staple stack. Horizontal feeder means normally prevent passage of the bottommost staple from the stack through the window into the staple driving track. The horizontal feeder means, actuable by the surgical stapling instrument, positively shifts the bottommost staple of the stack from the staple feeding track horizontally through the window to the staple forming track and cooperates with retainer springs to hold a shifted staple in position in the staple forming track to be implanted and formed about the anvil by the staple former.