Surgical end effectors with improved jaw aperture arrangements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019000460-A1
Application number	US-201715635578-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that has a first jaw and a second jaw that is pivotally attached to the first jaw for pivotal travel between a fully open position and a fully closed position by an axially movable closure member. The instrument further includes an axially movably firing member that has at least one jaw engagement feature that is configured to apply additional closure motions to the second jaw as the axially movable firing member is moved from a proximal most position to a distalmost position within the first end effector jaw. When the closure member is in a starting position and the axially movable firing member is in the proximal most position, a distal end of the closure member is distal to a distal end of the at least one jaw engagement feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical stapling device, comprising:
an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis; a surgical end effector operably coupled to said elongate shaft assembly by an articulation joint configured to facilitate selective articulation of said surgical end effector about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis, said surgical end effector comprising:
a surgical staple cartridge operably supporting a plurality of surgical staples therein; and
an anvil supported for selective pivotal travel relative to said surgical staple cartridge between a fully open position and a closed position, said anvil comprising a plurality of staple forming pockets corresponding to said surgical staples in said surgical staple cartridge and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:
an axially movable firing member comprising at least one anvil engagement feature thereon that is configured to engage said anvil when said anvil is in said closed position as said axially movable firing member is moved from a proximal most position to a distalmost position; and means for increasing a jaw aperture distance between a distalmost said staple in said surgical staple cartridge and a corresponding one of said staple forming pockets in said anvil while minimizing a joint distance between said articulation axis and a distal end of said anvil engagement feature on said axially movable firing member when said axially movable firing member is in said proximal most position.

2 . The surgical stapling device of claim 1 , wherein said means for increasing comprises a closure member configured to apply closure motions to said anvil, wherein said closure member is axially movable between a starting position corresponding to said fully open position of said second end effector jaw and an ending position corresponding to a fully closed position of said anvil and wherein, when said closure member is in said starting position and said axially movable firing member is in said proximal most position, said distal end of said closure member is distally spaced from said distal end of said anvil engagement feature a horizontal distance within a range of 0.4-0.9 inches.

3 . The surgical stapling device of claim 2 , wherein said horizontal distance is measured along a horizontal line that is parallel to or coincident with said shaft axis.

4 . The surgical stapling device of claim 1 , wherein said closure member comprises an axially movable distal closure tube segment comprising a closure cam surface configured to cammingly engage a cam surface on said anvil as said axially movable distal closure tube segment is moved from said starting position to said ending position.

5 . The surgical stapling device of claim 2 , wherein said surgical fastener cartridge is removably supported in an elongate channel that is operably coupled to said elongate shaft assembly by said articulation joint.

6 . The surgical stapling device of claim 5 , wherein said anvil comprises:
an anvil body; and an anvil mounting portion comprising an anvil cam surface and a pair of laterally extending anvil trunnions configured to be pivotally supported in corresponding openings in said elongate channel.

7 . The surgical stapling device of claim 6 , wherein said elongate shaft assembly comprises an axially movable proximal closure tube assembly thereon and wherein said closure member comprises an axially movable distal closure tube segment operably coupled to said axially movable proximal closure tube assembly.

8 . The surgical stapling device of claim 7 , wherein said axially movable distal closure tube segment comprises a closure cam surface configured to cammingly engage said anvil cam surface on said anvil as said axially movable distal closure tube segment is moved from said starting position to said ending position.

9 . The surgical stapling device of claim 8 , wherein said elongate shaft assembly comprises a spine assembly operably coupled to said elongate channel and movably supporting at least a portion of said proximal closure tube assembly thereon and wherein said proximal closure tube assembly operably interfaces with a closure system configured to selectively apply axial closure and opening motions to said proximal closure tube assembly.

10 . The surgical stapling device of claim 9 , wherein said closure system is supported by a handheld housing.

11 . The surgical stapling device of claim 9 , wherein said closure system is supported by a housing that operably interfaces with a robotic controlled actuator.

12 . A surgical instrument, comprising:
an elongate shaft assembly; an elongate channel coupled to said elongate shaft assembly and configured to operably support a surgical fastener cartridge therein; an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel for select pivotal travel relative thereto between a fully open position and a fully closed position about a fixed jaw pivot axis; a closure member configured to apply closure motions to said anvil to move said anvil between said fully open position and said fully closed position as said closure member is moved from a starting position to an ending position; and an axially movably firing member comprising at least one anvil engagement feature thereon that is configured to apply additional closure motions to said anvil as said axially movable firing member is moved from a proximal most position to a distalmost position within said elongate channel and wherein, when said closure member is in said starting position and said axially movable firing member is in said proximal most position, a distal end of said closure member is distal to a distal end of said at least one anvil engagement feature.

13 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein, when said closure member is in said starting position and said axially movable firing member is in said proximal most position, said distal end of said closure member is distally spaced from said distal end of said at least one anvil engagement feature a horizontal distance within a range of 0.4-0.9 inches.

14 . The surgical instrument of claim 13 , wherein said elongate shaft assembly defines a shaft axis and wherein said horizontal distance is measured along a horizontal line that is parallel to or coincident with said shaft axis.

15 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein said closure member comprises an axially movable distal closure tube segment comprising a closure cam surface configured to cammingly engage an anvil cam surface on said anvil as said axially movable distal closure tube segment is moved from said starting position to said ending position.

16 . The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein said elongate shaft assembly comprises:
a spine assembly operably coupled to said elongate channel; and a proximal closure tube assembly movably supported for axial travel relative to said spine assembly and pivotally coupled to said axially movable distal closure tube segment.

17 . The surgical instrument of claim 16 , wherein said proximal closure tube assembly operably interfaces with a closure system configured to selectively apply axial closure and opening motions to said proximal closure tube assembly.

18 . The surgical instrument of claim 17 , wherein said closure system is supported by a handheld housing.

19 . The surgical instrument of claim 17 , wherein said closure system is supported by a housing that operably interfaces with a robotic controlled actuator.

20 . A surgical system, compris

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Goldenbogen Michael W
• Harris Jason L
• Bakos Gregory J

Classifications

• A61B2090/0814

  Preventing re-use · CPC title

• A61B2017/2947

  Pivots · CPC title

• A61B2017/2925

  Pistol grips · CPC title

• A61B2017/2934

  arcuate shaped guiding means · CPC title

• A61B2017/07214

  Stapler heads · CPC title