The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1996
Lisa W Heaton, Norwalk, CT (US);
Mitchell J Palmer, New Milford, CT (US);
Keith L Milliman, Bethel, CT (US);
Richard C McClure, Claremont, CA (US);
Alan B Bachman, Hamden, CT (US);
United States Surgical Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue which includes a body having a proximal portion defining a central longitudinal axis and an articulating distal portion; a fastener cartridge containing at least one surgical fastener therein and positionable in the articulating distal portion; an anvil mounted adjacent the fastener cartridge and defining a fastener forming surface against which surgical fasteners are formed when ejected from the fastener cartridge; a fastener driving mechanism operatively associated with the fastener cartridge and actuatable from the handle to eject the at least one fastener from the fastener cartridge; a link member having a distal portion offset from the body central longitudinal axis and pivotably connected to the articulating distal portion at a point spaced from the body central longitudinal axis, the link member being movable between a proximal-most position to move the distal portion to an articulated condition away from the central longitudinal axis on a first side of the body and a distal-most position to move the distal portion to an articulated condition away from the central longitudinal axis on a second side of the body; and a control lever connected to the link member and pivotable about a point located along the body central longitudinal axis between a first position corresponding to the proximal-most position of the link member and a second position corresponding to the distal-most position of the link member.