Articulating surgical stapling instrument incorporating a two-piece e-beam firing mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021077100-A1
Application number	US-202017030726-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2020
Priority date	Jul 28, 2004
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surgical severing and stapling instrument, suitable for laparoscopic and endoscopic clinical procedures, clamps tissue within an end effector of an elongate channel pivotally opposed by an anvil. An E-beam firing bar moves distally through the clamped end effector to sever tissue and to drive staples on each side of the cut. The E-beam firing bar affirmatively spaces the anvil from the elongate channel to assure properly formed closed staples, especially when an amount of tissue is clamped that is inadequate to space the end effector. In particular, an upper pin of the firing bar longitudinally moves through an anvil slot and a channel slot is captured between a lower cap and a middle pin of the firing bar to assure a minimum spacing. Forming the E-beam from a thickened distal portion and a thinned proximal strip enhances manufacturability and facilitates use in such articulating surgical instruments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the firing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising:
an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion and including a channel slot,
a staple cartridge received by the elongate channel and incorporating a proximally positioned wedge member aligned to cam upward a driver supporting a staple,
an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel and including an anvil channel,
a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member engageable to the anvil channel, a lower member engaging the channel slot, and a middle member operable to actuate the staple cartridge by distally translating the wedge member of the staple cartridge, the firing device positively engaging both the elongate channel and the anvil during longitudinal firing travel to provide spacing therebetween for staple formation,
an articulation joint proximally coupled to the elongate channel, and
a thinned firing strip proximally attached to the firing device for transferring the firing motion from the handle portion through the articulation joint.

2 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the anvil forms a pivotal attachment to the elongate channel inwardly biased at respective distal ends to assist the firing device in affirmatively spacing between the anvil and elongate channel during actuation of the staple cartridge.

3 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the staple cartridge is a selected type of a plurality of staple cartridge types, each staple cartridge type characterized by a thickness selected for a desired spacing between the anvil and elongate channel and characterized by staples having a length suitable for the desired spacing.

4 . The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the wedge member comprises a wedge sled having a plurality of connected camming wedges each having a preselected height configured for the selected type of staple cartridge, the middle member of the firing device oriented to abut each of the plurality of staple cartridge types.

5 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion and a closing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the firing motions from the handle portion and diametrically dimensioned for endo-surgical use, the implement portion comprising:
a shaft coupled to the handle portion operable to separately transfer the firing motion and the closing motion,
an elongate channel coupled to the shaft and including a channel slot,
an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, responsive to the closing motion from the shaft, and including an anvil channel,
a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, the firing device including a lower portion slidingly engaged to the elongate channel and an upper portioned positioned to slidingly engage the anvil during firing, engagement of the firing device to the elongate channel and the anvil maintaining a spacing therebetween; and
a thinned strip proximally attached to the firing device operable to transfer the firing motion to the firing device.

6 . The surgical instrument of claim 5 , further comprising a staple cartridge engaged by the elongate channel and including a proximally opened slot for receiving the cutting edge of the firing device, the staple cartridge including a plurality of staples cam med upwardly by the distal longitudinal movement of the firing mechanism.

7 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the staple cartridge further includes a plurality of drivers supporting the plurality of staples and a wedge sled responsive to the distal longitudinal movement of the firing mechanism to cam upwardly the drivers and thus form the plurality of staples against the anvil.

8 . The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the shaft includes an articulation mechanism through which the thinned strip bends and longitudinally translates.

9 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the staple cartridge is a selected type of a plurality of staple cartridge types, each staple cartridge type characterized by a thickness selected for a desired spacing between the anvil and elongate channel and characterized by staples having a length suitable for the desired spacing.

10 . The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the wedge sled comprises a plurality of connected camming wedges each having a preselected height configured for the selected type of staple cartridge, the middle member of the firing device oriented to abut each of the plurality of staple cartridge types.

11 . The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the firing device is configured to affirmatively space the anvil from the elongate channel during longitudinal travel between the anvil and elongate channel by including a lower portion having an upper surface and a lower surface that slidingly engage the elongate channel.

12 . The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein the lower portion of the firing device comprises a lower pin having the upper surface abutting the elongate channel and the lower portion further comprises a middle pin having the lower surface opposingly abutting the elongate channel.

13 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the firing device further comprises an upper member having an upper surface and a lower surface that longitudinally slidingly engage the anvil.

14 . The surgical instrument of claim 13 , wherein the anvil includes an internal longitudinal slot having a narrowed vertical slot, and wherein the firing device translates in the narrowed vertical slot and includes an upper member having upper and lower surfaces that reside within the internal longitudinal slot for affirmatively spacing the anvil from the elongate channel.

15 . The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the firing device is configured to affirmatively space the anvil from the elongate channel during longitudinal travel between the anvil and elongate channel by including an upper member having an upper surface and a lower surface that longitudinally slidingly and opposingly engage the anvil.

16 . The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the anvil includes a longitudinal slot having an upper surface and a lower surface that slidingly abut respectively the lower surface and upper surface of the upper member of the firing device.

17 . The surgical instrument of claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal slot comprises an internal longitudinal channel communicating with a narrowed vertical slot, and wherein the firing device translates in the narrowed vertical slot and includes an upper member having the upper and lower surfaces that reside within the internal longitudinal channel for affirmatively spacing the anvil from the elongate channel.

18 . A surgical instrument, comprising:
a handle means for producing a closing motion and a firing motion; a clamping means responsive to the closing motion to clamp tissue; a firing means responsive to the firing motion for vertically spacing the clamping means and for causing severing and stapling of clamped tissue therein; and an articulation mechanism operably configured to articulate the clamping means relative to the handle means; and a thinned firing strip proximally attached to the firing means for bending through the articulation me

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Setser Michael E
• Doll Kevin R
• Morgan Jerome R

Classifications

• A61B17/115

  Staplers for performing anastomosis, e.g. in a single operation · CPC title

• A61B17/122

  Clamps or clips, e.g. for the umbilical cord {(for the vas deferens A61F6/206)} · CPC title

• A61B17/04 Primary

  for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials · CPC title

• A61B2017/07278

  characterised by its sled or its staple holder · CPC title

• A61B17/07207 Primary

  the staples being applied sequentially · CPC title