Surgical fastener applying apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338702-A1
Application number	US-201615225900-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2000
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to surgical fastener applying apparatus for sequentially applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue. The surgical fastener applying apparatus includes a replaceable cartridge assembly receivable in a distal end portion of a cartridge receiving half-section, the cartridge assembly including a safety lockout pivotably disposed along the upper surface of the cartridge assembly and movable from an unlocked orientation permitting assembly of an anvil half-section to the cartridge receiving half-section, to a locked orientation preventing assembly of the anvil half-section to the cartridge receiving-half section.

First claim

1 . A method of adjusting a staple gap in a surgical stapling apparatus, the method comprising:
providing a surgical stapling apparatus having a jaw structure with an anvil receiving portion and a jaw structure with a cartridge receiving portion, the jaw structures being operatively couplable to one another to provide a staple gap between forward portions of the anvil and cartridge receiving portions; positioning a gap adjustment member between the jaw structures; rotating the gap adjustment member to provide a staple gap between the forward portions of the anvil and cartridge receiving portions; and locking the gap adjustment member in a radial position to fix a size of the staple gap.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the jaw structures includes a pair of mounting members thereon for mounting the other of the jaw structures thereon, the method comprising positioning the gap adjustment member on the mounting members between the jaw structures.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gap adjustment member includes one or more bearing portions sharing a common rotational axis, and one or more cam surface portions having a periphery with at least two different points along the periphery, with each point along the periphery having a different radius from the rotational axis, wherein rotating the gap adjust member results in a varying of the size of the staple gap.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the cam surface portions define a central axis parallel to, and spaced a distance from, the rotational axis of the bearing portions.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the rotating the gap adjustment member results in a movement of the jaw structures relative to one another in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by one of the jaw structures.

6 . A method of adjusting a staple gap, the method comprising:
positioning a gap adjustment member between an anvil receiving portion and a cartridge receiving portion, the anvil receiving portion and the cartridge receiving portion operatively couplable to one another; rotating the gap adjustment member to adjust a size of a staple gap between the anvil and cartridge receiving portions; and locking the gap adjustment member in a radial position to fix the size of the staple gap between the anvil and cartridge receiving portions.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising positioning the gap adjustment member on mounting members of one of the anvil receiving portion or the cartridge receiving portion.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein rotating the gap adjustment member results in a varying of the size of the staple gap, and wherein the gap adjustment member includes one or more bearing portions sharing a common rotational axis, and one or more cam surface portions having a periphery with at least two different points along the periphery, each point along the periphery having a different radius from the common rotational axis.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the cam surface portions define a central axis parallel to, and spaced a radial distance from, the rotational axis of the bearing portions.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein rotating the gap adjustment member results in a movement of the anvil and cartridge receiving portions relative to one another in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by one of the anvil and cartridge receiving portions.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Ehrenfels Karl H
• Ivanko David
• Lehn Randolph
• Pedros Roberto
• Rethy Csaba L
• Viola Frank J

Classifications

• A61B17/105

  Wound clamp magazines (for packaging sharps A61B50/3001) · CPC title

• A61B2017/0725

  with settable gap between anvil and cartridge, e.g. for different staple heights at different shots · CPC title

• A61B2090/038

  during shipment · CPC title

• A61B17/07207 Primary

  the staples being applied sequentially · CPC title

• A61B2017/07271

  characterised by its cartridge · CPC title