Surgical stapling instruments including a cartridge having multiple staples sizes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662111-B2
Application number	US-201615160318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2005
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple cartridge and an anvil member. The staple cartridge includes a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in rows of retention slots. The staple cartridge may have an annular or linear configuration of retention slots. The tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge may be tapered or stepped. The anvil member has a tissue contacting surface that includes a number of pockets arranged for substantially aligning with the retention slots. In addition, the tissue contacting surface of the anvil member may complement the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising a transverse body portion configured to receive a support frame, the support frame having an anvil and a cartridge carrier, the support frame being movable to clamp tissue therein, the cartridge carrier being configured to receive a cartridge assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly has a tissue contacting surface that defines a first gap with respect to the anvil and a second gap with respect to the anvil, the cartridge assembly having a first row of retention slots and a second row of retention slots and staples disposed in the first row of retention slots and the second row of retention slots, the staples in the first row of retention slots having a different size from the staples in the second row of retention slots.

2. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes a knife track.

3. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge assembly has a third row of retention slots.

4. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3 , wherein the staples of the third row of retention slots have a different size from the staples in the first row of retention slots.

5. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 4 , wherein the staples of the third row of retention slots have a different size from the staples in the second row of retention slots.

6. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3 , wherein the staples of the third row of retention slots have a leg length that is different from at least one of the second row and the first row of retention slots.

7. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a handle and an elongate barrel.

8. The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1 , wherein the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge assembly extends transverse to the elongate barrel.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Holsten Henry E
• Viola Frank J
• Emmons Clifford L
• Beardsley John W
• Heinrich Russell
• Cullinan Nicola

Classifications

• A61B17/32

  Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133}) · CPC title

• A61B17/32053

  Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife (A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695) · CPC title

• A61B2017/07271

  characterised by its cartridge · CPC title

• A61B2017/07214

  Stapler heads · CPC title

• A61B17/07207 Primary

  the staples being applied sequentially · CPC title