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:
Jun. 14, 2011
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2008
Bret W. Smith, Kings Mills, OH (US);
Kevin R. Doll, Mason, OH (US);
William D. Kelly, Mason, OH (US);
Ronald J. Kolata, Raleigh, NC (US);
Joshua R. Uth, Mason, OH (US);
Charles J. Scheib, Loveland, OH (US);
Frederick E. Shelton, Iv, Hillsboro, OH (US);
William B. Weisenburgh, Ii, Maineville, OH (US);
Jerome R. Morgan, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Kyle P. Moore, Mason, OH (US);
Mark H. Ransick, West Chester, OH (US);
Steven G. Hall, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Randall J. Tanguay, Lebanon, OH (US);
Jeffrey D. Messerly, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Galen C. Robertson, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Andrew M. Zwolinski, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Bret W. Smith, Kings Mills, OH (US);
Kevin R. Doll, Mason, OH (US);
William D. Kelly, Mason, OH (US);
Ronald J. Kolata, Raleigh, NC (US);
Joshua R. Uth, Mason, OH (US);
Charles J. Scheib, Loveland, OH (US);
Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Hillsboro, OH (US);
William B. Weisenburgh, II, Maineville, OH (US);
Jerome R. Morgan, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Kyle P. Moore, Mason, OH (US);
Mark H. Ransick, West Chester, OH (US);
Steven G. Hall, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Randall J. Tanguay, Lebanon, OH (US);
Jeffrey D. Messerly, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Galen C. Robertson, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Andrew M. Zwolinski, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
A surgical stapling instrument including an actuator configured to be retracted relative to the distal end of the disposable loading unit and rotate an anvil between an open position and a closed position. The actuator can include a cam, where the cam can include an arcuate profile having an apex configured to be in contact with the anvil when the anvil is in a closed position. In at least one such embodiment, the anvil can apply a clamping force to the soft tissue prior to the staples being deployed to prevent, or at least inhibit, soft tissue from flowing, or 'milking', out of the distal end of the disposable loading unit. In various embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can include a disposable loading unit having an anvil which can be moved between open, closed, and/or collapsed positions to facilitate the insertion of the disposable loading unit through a trocar.