Surgical instrument for applying multiple staples and cutting blood vessels and organic structures and method therefor

Abstract

A surgical instrument for stapling and cutting a blood vessel or other organic structure utilizes at least two surgical staple clips. The surgical instrument in one embodiment includes an elongated tube with a longitudinally movable rod disposed therein. A handle, mounted on a proximal end of the tube, includes a movable member which causes the movable rod to move longitudinally. In one embodiment, a pair of surgical staple clip carrying jaw sets are pivotally mounted on a common lateral axis located at the distal end of the elongated tube, each clip jaw set includes at least two jaw members, and each jaw member defines a clip action cam following channel. In a further embodiment, jaw members are ganged together and move as a unit based upon a cam follower surface motivated by a cam actuator member. In a different embodiment with more than eight clip carrying jaws the cam follower channels or surfaces have substantially different shapes such that different clips close on the blood vessel or organic structure at different rates and at different times with respect to the longitudinal position of the movable rod.