Surgical fastener applier

Details Surgical fastener applier Surgical fastener applier

1999-10-21

2001-11-20

Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)

Elongated-member-driving apparatus

With means to form member prior to penetration of work

Deflector

C227S019000, C227S176100, C227S156000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06318616

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to surgical fastener appliers, and more particularly, is directed to surgical fastener appliers of the type which are used for closing wounds in skin and fascia tissue.
2. Background of the Related Art
The placement of clips and staples by surgical fastener appliers for closing wounds in skin and fascia tissue is well known. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,125 to Noiles et al. discloses a surgical stapler apparatus with a staple pusher plate for forming staples around tissue. The staples are fed successively into instrument jaws and cammed closed around skin or fascia tissue by the pusher plate. The staples are stored in the instrument in a longitudinal stack which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the instrument. The distal-most staple in the stack is applied to the tissue by being bent or formed around an anvil tip of an anvil plate. An actuator adjacent the proximal end of the pusher plate reciprocates the pusher plate along its trajectory so that the distal end of the pusher plate advances the distal-most staple to the anvil and forms the staple around the anvil.
Furthermore, the Noiles et al. surgical stapler includes a metal staple track for carrying the stack of staples. The metal staple track is covered along an outer portion thereof with a plastic bottom or lower housing cover which forms an exterior portion of the surgical stapler. The staples are maintained at an inclined position relative to the metal staple track with staple tips in sliding contact with the metal track. As the pusher plate is cammed toward the anvil, the distal end portion of the pusher plate slides against and beyond a distal end portion of the metal track forming a nose gap space between an underside of the anvil plate and the distal end portion of the metal track. The nose gap space keeps the pusher plate free from galling or binding with the metal track as repeated staples are fired from the stapler.
While the Noiles et al. surgical stapler is an excellent design, the staple cartridge includes a lower portion having two separate parts, namely, the metal staple track and lower housing which increases the cost of manufacture. Additionally, the Noiles et al. surgical stapler is designed such that the staples are maintained at an angle relative to the longitudinal base of the metal track with staple tips in contact with the metal track as the staples are presented for firing. Thus, the metal track serves as a buffer and guide for movement of the staples along the firing track. Finally, a nose gap space exists in order to prevent the pusher plate from galling or binding with the metal track as the pusher plate slides between the underside of the anvil plate and the end portions of the metal track.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved surgical stapler which effectively fires clips/staples into skin or fascia tissue which is formed with fewer parts, provides smooth operation and results in lower manufacture cost.
Therefore, the embodiments herein disclosed throughout the present disclosure achieve the intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing readily available materials.
With particular reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, there is illustrated a perspective view (
FIG. 1
) of a prior art surgical stapler
60
, namely, the Royal Auto Suture (™), available from United States Surgical Corporation of Norwalk, Connecticut and an exploded view (
FIG. 2
) of a prior art cartridge assembly
10
for use in a portion of the surgical stapler
60
. Surgical stapler
60
is made up of central body part
62
, top cover
64
, lower housing
40
and proxinally extending portion
68
. Proximally extending portion
68
is sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the palm of an operator's hand, with trigger handle
70
being within the reach of one or more fingers of that hand. Trigger handle
70
is pivotally mounted on the central body part
62
by way of pivotal axis
72
which includes projections
48
extending from lower housing
40
.
As best illustrated in
FIG. 2
, the cartridge assembly
10
contains a plurality of staples
74
formed in a stack along a bottom portion thereof. The cartridge assembly
10
includes an upper chassis assembly
12
which includes cartridge housing
14
. Cartridge housing
14
is coupled to central body part
62
of surgical stapler
60
via projections
50
. Cartridge housing
14
includes a central channel
16
for receiving pusher follower
18
and compression coil
20
. Pusher follower
18
is biased distally by compression coil
20
and includes securing projection
19
for securing reciprocally advancing pusher plate
22
. Both the pusher follower
18
and pusher plate
22
move distally against the bias of compression coil
20
within central channel
16
. Pusher plate
22
includes staple forming projections
58
which, when distally advanced around a periphery of anvil tip
28
(to be described later herein), form staple
74
into tissue. Cartridge housing
14
further includes a proximally located tab projection
52
which is coupled to an underside of central body part
62
. Tab projection
52
acts as a backstop for a proximal portion of a compression spring (not shown).
Along a top portion of upper chassis assembly
12
is positioned an anvil plate
26
which is affixed onto projections
24
of cartridge housing
14
. Anvil plate
26
includes anvil tip
28
which is used to form staples
74
as pusher plate
22
is distally advanced against an underside of anvil tip
28
. Anvil plate
26
further includes anvil plate projections
35
and grooves
34
. Pusher plate
22
forms an arc of a circle as it is distally advanced along the underside of anvil plate
26
toward anvil tip
28
. A wrap portion
30
is snap fit over anvil plate
26
and includes projections
32
which fit into the grooves
34
between anvil plate projections
35
. The projections
32
are used to bias staples
74
into a staple forming position as each staple
74
is formed around anvil tip
28
and corresponding tissue.
The cartridge assembly
10
further includes a lower chassis assembly
36
having a metal staple track
38
and lower housing
40
. Lower chassis assembly
36
is coupled to an underside of upper chassis assembly
12
and secures the plurality of staples
74
therebetween. Metal staple track
38
is fitted between cartridge housing
14
and lower housing
40
and includes channels
42
and flat portions
46
for longitudinally storing a stack of staples
74
. Metal staple track
38
further includes a longitudinally spaced central depression
43
over which is received staple follower
45
and associated compression spring (not shown). The ends of staples
74
slide along the flat portions
46
of metal staple track
38
as staple follower
45
and associated compression spring distally bias the stack of staples
74
toward anvil tip
28
. Lower housing
40
includes proximally located projections
48
to which trigger handle
70
is pivotally mounted. Along proximal portions of metal staple track
38
and lower housing
40
include cut out window portions
54
and
56
, respectively. The window portions
54
and
56
provide an open space along the distal end portion of the underside of the lower chassis assembly
36
and allow ample space for the proper formation of the staples
74
around the tissue.
In the formation of staple
74
around tissue, pusher plate
22
and staple forming projections
58
are advanced distally of anvil tip
28
and distal end portions
49
of metal staple track
38
. Such advancement of pusher plate
22
between anvil plate
26
and distal end portions
49
of metal staple track
38
causes frictional contact between pusher plate
22
, anvil plate
26
and metal staple track
38
. To this effect, there exists a nose gap space between an underside of the proje

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