Elongated-member-driving apparatus – Surgical stapler
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-17
2001-08-07
Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)
Elongated-member-driving apparatus
Surgical stapler
C227S176100, C227S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269997
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for actuating a variety of interchangeable surgical instruments, more particularly for anastomosis (i.e parting, closing and connecting) of hollow organs.
Known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,468 is a surgical suture stapler including a reusable unit made up of a handle part and shank part as well as a mountable disposable head unit. This instrument comprises a pistol-type handle part and a straight shank part which cannot be separated from each other. The shank part is configured as a rigid, straight tube.
A mountable disposable head unit in the form of the suture stapler comprising suture staples, a staple ejector, a circular scalpel, a mandrel as well as an anvil is secured to the distal end of the shank part by means of a bayonet lock or a threaded connector.
Known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,661 is a suture stapler in which neither the shank nor the head is separable from the handle part and shank part respectively. Merely an anvil and a pin can be separated from the shank part. Furthermore the handle part cannot be disassembled and the whole instrument is devised exclusively for once-only use.
The known suture stapler, like other non-reusable surgical instruments, has various disadvantages which have proved to be nuisance in actual practice, although not each and every one of these instruments has all of the disadvantages as listed in the following, they usually having, however, several of these disadvantages at the same time.
The known instruments generally are too heavy, some of these instruments requiring for their actuation excessive operating forces and/or failing to incorporate feedback information means, for example, in the form of “stapling or cut performed”. Non-reusable circular instruments involve high costs simply from the fact that they can only be used once and then need to be disposed of.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus the object of the invention to design and implement an apparatus for actuating surgical instruments which is low-weight, requiring little force to operate and which more particularly is to be reused.
In an apparatus for actuating a variety of interchangeable surgical instruments in accordance with the invention a handle part is secured releasably and properly located to the proximal end of a shank part. Attached to the handle part is a pivotable toggle mechanism releasably in contact with the proximal end of a flexible, force-transmitting reciprocating part guidingly accommodated in the shank part. The proximal end of the reciprocating part is connected to an adjusting mechanism in the handle part. Connected to the distal end of the force-transmitting reciprocating part is a connector for producing a connection to a surgical instrument. Provided at the distal end of the reciprocating part is a push button fastener for attaching a housing of the surgical instrument whilst applied to the distal end of the flexible reciprocating part is a part transmitting an axial compressive force to the body of the surgical instrument.
In the apparatus of the invention the handle part may be disassembled for the purpose of cleaning/sterilization to advantage without requiring any tools. By means of a toggle mechanism provided on the handle part a higher force may be applied towards the end, for example, of a stapling action and excision so that a satisfactory tissue cut is reliably assured.
In the apparatus in accordance with the invention an adjusting mechanism permits to particular advantage a swift approximation, for example, of an anvil to a staple cartridge and in addition subsequently a vernier adjustment e.g. of a tissue gap. During approximation, i.e. movement of the anvil an axial adjustment is implemented which is transmitted via an internal pusher to an operating control on the handle part. For vernier adjustment a mechanism is provided which translates this axial movement into a rotary movement. This rotary movement is locked out during an operation, as a result of which the axial position of the adjusting mechanism is fixed in place.
Accordingly, in the apparatus in accordance with the invention the adjusting mechanism is automatically arrested in the vernier adjustment range and is thus unable to become displaced in performing the operation, for example, during a stapling action. A positive lock of the rotary movement enables very fine indexing of the vernier adjustment range to be achieved.
The shank part of the apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a mechanism to transmit a predetermined force, for example. during a stapling action, as well as a predetermined travel, such as, for example, an adjustment travel for an anvil, whereby the force and the adjustment travel may be applied or implemented for both straight and single-axis bent shank tubes.
In apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises only two assemblies comprising a few elements suitable for reuse, simple to assemble locked in place and to disassemble, each of which is simple to clean and thus simple to resterilize. Via a push-button/mounting fastener designed for facilitated operation a variety of head units may be connected to the apparatus in accordance with the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3955581 (1976-05-01), Spasiano et al.
patent: 4319576 (1982-03-01), Rothfuss
patent: 4527724 (1985-07-01), Chow et al.
patent: 4573468 (1986-03-01), Conta et al.
patent: 4671445 (1987-06-01), Barker et al.
patent: 4754909 (1988-07-01), Barker et al.
patent: 4903697 (1990-02-01), Resnick et al.
patent: 5093208 (1992-03-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5111987 (1992-05-01), Moeinzadeh et al.
patent: 5467911 (1995-11-01), Tsuruta et al.
patent: 5533661 (1996-07-01), Main et al.
patent: 5588580 (1996-12-01), Paul et al.
patent: 5669918 (1997-09-01), Balazs et al.
patent: 5685474 (1997-11-01), Seeber
patent: 5702048 (1997-12-01), Eberlin
patent: 5817109 (1998-10-01), McGarry et al.
patent: 5865361 (1999-02-01), Milliman et al.
patent: 3818983 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 9018151 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 4091825 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 7233456 (1995-09-01), None
Balazs Matthias
Hagn Ulrich
Browdy and Neimark
Deutsches Zentrum-für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.
Smith Scott A.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for actuating a variety of interchangeable... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for actuating a variety of interchangeable..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for actuating a variety of interchangeable... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474962