Surgical stapling device with safety member
A safety member ( 100 ) for use with an open, linear stapling device ( 10 ) includes a body ( 102 ) that can be received within a central knife slot ( 72 ) of a staple cartridge ( 18 ) and includes a knife stop ( 104 ), an angled stop surface ( 106 ), and transverse protrusions ( 108 ). The knife stop ( 104 ) is positioned on the body ( 102 ) to engage a knife assembly ( 50 ) of the staple cartridge ( 18 ), and the angled stop surface ( 106 ) is positioned to engage an actuation sled ( 62 ) of the staple cartridge ( 18 ). The transverse protrusions ( 108 ) are positioned to be received within cutouts ( 110 ) of the staple cartridge ( 18 ) to prevent longitudinal movement of the safety member ( 100 ) in relation to the staple cartridge ( 18 ) when the safety member ( 100 ) is coupled to the staple cartridge ( 18 ).
1 . A stapling device and safety member assembly comprising:
a stapling device extending along a longitudinal axis and including:
an anvil section having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion including an anvil plate;
a cartridge section including a channel member extending along the longitudinal axis and defining a channel, the channel including a proximal portion and a distal portion;
a staple cartridge, including:
a cartridge body with an upper surface defining a longitudinally-extending central knife slot with a depth defined along a vertical axis, the cartridge body further including side surfaces spaced along a transverse axis and defining cutouts, wherein the vertical axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the upper surface of the cartridge body, and wherein the transverse axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the vertical axis;
a knife assembly including a knife bar having a cutting edge; and
an actuation sled movable longitudinally through the cartridge body;
wherein the staple cartridge is releasably received within the distal portion of the channel;
a firing assembly including a drive beam, adapted to couple to the knife assembly when the staple cartridge is received within the distal portion of the channel; and
a clamp member supported on the cartridge section, the clamp member movable from an unclamped position to a clamped position to move the anvil plate into juxtaposed alignment with the staple cartridge; and
a safety member with a body configured for insertion into the central knife slot, the body comprising:
a proximal end defining a knife stop for the knife bar;
an upper end spaced from a lower end along the vertical axis to define a body height, with the upper end defining a grip;
an angled stop surface for engaging the actuation sled; and
side surfaces spaced along the transverse axis to define a body width, with the body height being greater than the body width, and with each side surface having a transversely extending protrusion;
wherein the body width is sized to be frictionally engaged in the central knife slot such that, when the body of the safety member is positioned within the central knife slot:
the body protrudes from the central knife slot such that the grip is positioned vertically above the upper surface of the staple cartridge and a height of the body portion defining the grip has a height greater than the body width;
the knife stop engages the cutting edge of the knife bar,
the angled stop surface engages the actuation sled to prevent movement of the knife assembly and actuation sled within the cartridge body; and
the transversely extending protrusions of the safety member are received within the cutouts of the staple cartridge to prevent longitudinal movement of the safety member within the central knife slot of the cartridge body.
2 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end includes the angled stop surface.
3 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 2 , wherein the grip includes longitudinal ribs.
4 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 2 , wherein a distal portion of the safety member includes feet, the feet engaging the channel when the safety member is received within the central knife slot of the cartridge body.
5 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 2 , wherein the body of the safety member includes raised surfaces that are positioned to engage a portion of the cartridge body defining the central knife slot to retain the safety member within the central knife slot.
6 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the firing assembly of the stapling device includes a trigger that is coupled to the drive beam, the trigger being movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to advance the knife assembly and the actuation sled through the cartridge body.
7 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 6 , wherein the trigger is pivotably coupled to the drive beam and includes a thumb engagement member on each side of the channel of the cartridge section to facilitate actuation of the firing assembly from both sides of the stapling device.
8 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stapling device includes a lock member supported within the channel of the channel member of the cartridge section, the lock member defining a slot through which the drive beam of the firing assembly extends, the lock member movable from a locked position engaged with the drive beam to an unlocked position disengaged from the drive beam.
9 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lock member is movable from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to insertion of the staple cartridge within the distal portion of the channel of the channel member of the cartridge section of the stapling device.
10 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive beam of the firing assembly includes a distal portion adapted to couple to the knife assembly when the staple cartridge is inserted within the distal portion of the channel of the channel member of the cartridge section of the stapling device.
11 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation sled defines angled cam surfaces and the angled stop surface of the safety member defines an angle that corresponds to an angle defined by the angled cam surfaces.
12 . A safety member for preventing inadvertent advancement of a knife assembly of a stapling device, the safety member comprising:
a body extending along a longitudinal axis of the stapling device and configured for insertion into a central knife slot of an upper surface of a staple cartridge of the stapling device, the central knife slot defining a depth along a vertical axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the upper surface of the staple cartridge;
wherein the body comprises:
a proximal end defining a knife stop for the knife assembly;
an upper end spaced from a lower end along the vertical axis to define a body height, with the upper end defining a grip;
an angled stop surface for engaging an actuation sled of the staple cartridge; and
side surfaces spaced along a transverse axis, orthogonal to the vertical axis and the longitudinal axis, to define a body width, with the body height being greater than the body width, and with each side surface having a transversely extending protrusion;
wherein the body is sized to be frictionally engaged by the central knife slot such that, when the body is positioned within the central knife slot:
the knife stop engages a cutting edge of the knife assembly;
the angled stop surface engages the actuation sled;
the transversely extending protrusions are received within corresponding cutouts in the staple cartridge to prevent longitudinal movement of the safety member in relation to the staple cartridge; and
the body protrudes from the central knife slot such that the grip is positioned vertically above the upper surface of the staple cartridge.
13 . The safety member of claim 12 wherein the grip includes longitudinal ribs.
14 . The safety member of claim 12 , wherein the lower end includes feet supporting the safety member within the staple cartridge when the safety member is received within the central knife slot of the staple cartridge.
15 . The safety member of claim 12 , wherein the body includes raised surfaces that are positioned to engage a portion of the staple cartridge defining the central knife slot to retain the safety member within the central knife slot.
16 . The safety member of claim 12 , wherein the angled stop surface has an angle that corresponds to an angle of cam surfaces of an actuation sled of the staple cartridge.
17 . A stapling device and safety member assembly comprising:
a stapling device extending along a longitudinal axis and including:
an anvil section having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
a cartridge section including a channel member extending along the longitudinal axis and defining a channel, the channel including a proximal portion and a distal portion;
a staple cartridge including:
a cartridge body with an upper surface defining a longitudinally-extending central knife slot, with a depth defined along a vertical axis, the cartridge body further including side surfaces spaced along a transverse axis and defining cutouts, wherein the vertical axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the upper surface of the cartridge body, and wherein the transverse axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the vertical axis;
a knife assembly including a knife bar having a cutting edge; and
an actuation sled having angled cam surfaces,
wherein the staple cartridge is releasably received within the distal portion of the channel; and
a firing assembly including a drive beam, the drive beam adapted to couple to the knife assembly when the staple cartridge is received within the distal portion of the channel; and
a safety member comprising:
a body that is frictionally received within the central knife slot, the body comprising:
an upper end spaced from a lower end along the vertical axis, the upper end defining a grip including longitudinally extending ribs, and the lower end having one or more feet engaging the channel member when the body is received within the central knife slot;
a proximal end defining a knife stop for the knife bar;
an angled stop surface extending distally from the knife stop and downwards towards the channel, wherein the angled stop surface is positioned to engage angled cam surfaces of the actuation sled to prevent distal movement of
the actuation sled; and
at least one transversely extending protrusion received within the cutouts defined in the staple cartridge.
18 . The stapling device of claim 17 , wherein an angle defined by the angled stop surface corresponds to an angle defined by the angled cam surfaces of the actuation sled.
19 . The stapling device and safety member assembly of claim 17 , wherein the safety member further comprises side surfaces spaced along the transverse axis, at least one of the side surfaces including a raised surface protruding transversely from the body to engage inner walls of the staple cartridge that define the central knife slot to increase the frictional engagement of the safety member with the staple cartridge.