Surgical stapler with discretely positionable distal tip

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a first jaw; and

a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes:

a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis;

a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to the jaw body axis, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis;

first and second stops configured to constrain the pivotable motion of the distal tip, the first stop positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and the second stop positioned to abut a second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position; and

a spring proximal to the proximal protrusion and configured to exert a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a first direction so as to releasably bias the first portion of the distal tip against the first stop when in the first discrete position and exert the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a second direction, different from the first direction, the second direction being substantially aligned with the second discrete position, so as to releasably bias the second portion against the second stop when in the second discrete position, wherein as the distal tip is transitioned from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions, the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion transitions from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions; and

wherein the first and second stops are integrally formed in a distal end of the second jaw body.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw comprises a staple cartridge that houses a plurality of staples and the second jaw comprises a plurality of staple forming pockets configured to form the staples, wherein the first and second jaws are configured to transition from an open state, wherein the first and second jaws are non-parallel, to a closed state, wherein the first and second jaws are nominally parallel, to clamp and staple tissue with the staples.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein one of the first and second discrete positions is configured for marching the first and second jaws through tissue and the other of the first and second discrete positions is configured for gathering tissue between the first and second jaws when the first and second jaws are transitioned from the open state to the closed state.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the distal tip is in the first discrete position, the distal tip is nominally parallel to the jaw body axis and when in the second discrete position, the distal tip is at an acute angle relative to the jaw body axis.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring is further configured to, when the distal tip is positioned between the first and second discrete positions, rotatably bias the distal tip toward the closer of the first discrete position or the second discrete position.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring continuously exerts at least some amount of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring is configured to exert the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a current direction until the distal tip is displaced, via the application of an external force to the body thereof, from its current discrete position by a threshold amount.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the exertion against the proximal protrusion creates a resistance to the displacement of the distal tip and defines the threshold amount of external force and the transition of the direction of the resilient force exerted against the proximal protrusion between the first and second directions occurs abruptly upon the external force exceeding the threshold amount.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second stops define an extent of a range of motion of the distal tip.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the proximal protrusion is characterized by a cam profile which controls the direction in which the spring exerts the resilient force against the proximal protrusion.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the motion of the proximal protrusion caused by the transition of the distal tip between the first and second discrete positions causes the direction of the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to change between the first and second directions.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the cam profile comprises first and second portions, the first portion engaging the spring when the distal tip is in the first discrete position to cause the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to be in the first direction, and the second portion engaging the spring when the distal tip is in the second discrete position to cause the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to be in the second direction.

13 . An apparatus comprising:

a first jaw; and

a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes:

a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis;

a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to the jaw body axis, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis;

first and second stops configured to constrain the pivotable motion of the distal tip, the first stop positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and the second stop positioned to abut a second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position; and

a spring proximal to the proximal protrusion and configured to exert a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a first direction so as to releasably bias the first portion of the distal tip against the first stop when in the first discrete position and exert the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a second direction, different from the first direction, so as to releasably bias the second portion against the second stop when in the second discrete position, wherein as the distal tip is transitioned from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions, the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion transitions from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions; and

wherein the spring comprises a first spring arm having a proximal portion retained by the jaw body and a distal portion in contact with the proximal protrusion; and

wherein the first spring arm comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, a distal portion of the lower surface being in contact with the proximal protrusion, the spring further comprising a second spring arm having a lower surface, a distal portion of which contacts a distal portion of the upper surface of the first spring arm under load, the first and second spring arms exerting a combined spring force against the proximal protrusion.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the spring further comprises a proximal portion which movably couples proximal ends of the first and second spring arms together.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the upper surface of the first spring arm is not in contact with the lower surface of the second spring arm when not under load.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring having at least two stacked leaves, a lower surface of a lower leaf being in contact with the proximal protrusion.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the jaw body further comprises a longitudinal channel along which at least a portion of a knife travels from a proximal end to a distal end of the jaw body, the spring being positioned at the distal end of the jaw body and comprising a gap therein so that the travel of the knife to the distal end is not impeded thereby.

18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a distal end of the jaw body includes a cavity in which the spring is inserted, the spring including at least one portion which defines the extent of the insertion.

19 . A method of pivoting a distal tip, about a pivot axis that extends transversely to a jaw body axis of a jaw body to which the distal tip is movably disposed at a distal end thereof, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis, the method comprising:

exerting a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in one of a first or second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction, the second direction being substantially aligned with the second discrete position, so as to releasably bias, when the resilient force is exerted in the first direction, a first portion of the distal tip against one of a first stop integrally formed in a distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and, when the resilient force is exerted in the second direction, a second portion of the distal tip against a second stop, different from the first stop, integrally formed in the distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut the second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position; and

transitioning the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions as the distal tip transitions from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein when the distal tip is in the first discrete position, the distal tip is nominally parallel to the jaw body axis and when in the second discrete position, the distal tip is at an acute angle relative to the jaw body axis.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising rotatably biasing the distal tip toward the closer of the first discrete position or the second discrete position when the distal tip is positioned between the first and second discrete positions.

22 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising continuously exerting at least some amount of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion.

23 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising exerting the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a current direction until the distal tip is displaced, via the application of an external force to the body thereof, from its current discrete position by a threshold amount.

24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein exerting comprises exerting a first amount of force against the proximal protrusion by a first spring arm having a proximal portion retained by the jaw body and a distal portion in contact with the proximal protrusion, and exerting a second amount of force against at least the distal portion of the first spring arm by a distal portion of a second spring arm, the resilient force exerted against the proximal protrusion being the combination of the first and second amounts of force.

25 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising controlling the direction in which the resilient force is exerted against the proximal protrusion using a cam profile of the proximal protrusion.

26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprises applying an external force to the body of the distal tip to displace the distal tip from one of the first and second discrete positions to the other of the first and second discrete A position, the displacement of body displacing the distal protrusion causing the direction of the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to change between the first and second directions.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the cam profile comprises first and second portions, the first portion engaging the spring when the distal tip is in the first discrete position to cause the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to be in the first direction, and the second portion engaging the spring when the distal tip is in the second discrete position to cause the exertion of the resilient force against the proximal protrusion to be in the second direction.

28 . An apparatus comprising:

a first jaw; and

a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes:

a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis;

a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable about a pivot axis, that extends transversely to the jaw body axis, between a first discrete position and a second discrete position different from the first discrete position, wherein the distal tip includes a body which extends distal to the pivot axis and a protrusion which extends proximal to the pivot axis;

means for exerting a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in one of a first or second direction different from the first direction so as to, when the resilient force is exerted in the first direction, releasably bias a first portion of the distal tip against one of a first stop integrally formed in a distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut a first portion of the distal tip when in the first discrete position and, when the resilient force is exerted in the second direction, releasably bias a second portion of the distal tip against a second stop, different from the first stop, integrally formed in the distal end of the second jaw body and positioned to abut the second portion of the distal tip when in the second discrete position; and

means for transitioning the direction of the resilient force of the spring exerted against the proximal protrusion from one of the first and second directions to the other of the first and second directions as the distal tip transitions from one of the first or second discrete positions to the other of the first or second discrete positions.

29 . A method of manufacturing a jaw of an end effector, the jaw comprising a jaw body, the method comprising:

inserting a spring into a cavity formed in a distal end of the jaw body;

affixing, pivotably, a distal tip to the distal end of the jaw body, the distal tip comprising a portion proximal to a pivot axis which abuts and preloads the spring upon affixation of the distal tip to the distal end of the jaw body, the spring thereafter exerting a resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a first direction so as to releasably bias the first portion of the distal tip against a first stop formed in the jaw body when in a first discrete position and exert the resilient force against the proximal protrusion in a second direction, different from the first direction, the second direction being substantially aligned with the second discrete position, so as to releasably bias the second portion against a second stop formed in the jaw body, different from the first stop, when in a second discrete position.

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising:

forming, prior to the inserting, the spring by folding a first spring arm over a second spring arm such that the first spring arm overlaps the second spring arm, wherein upon the affixing, a portion of the lower surface of the second spring arm is in contact with the proximal protrusion, and a portion of a lower surface of the first spring arm contacts a portion of an upper surface of the second spring arm, the first and second spring arms exerting a combined spring force against the proximal protrusion.

31 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising:

forming, prior to the affixing, a cam profile on the proximal portion of the distal tip which controls the direction in which the spring exerts the resilient force against the proximal protrusion.