Surgical stapling apparatus having a wound closure material applicator assembly
View Patent ↗A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple anvil and a staple cartridge having a working surface, one or more rows of individual staple slots formed in the working surface, a knife track formed along a length of the working surface, and a plurality of surgical staples individually disposed within the individual staple slots. The apparatus further includes an actuation sled having a knife and being configured and adapted to movably position the knife axially within the knife track. The apparatus also includes a wound closure material applicator assembly having a needle secured to the knife to dispense a quantity of wound closure material along a length of the knife track as the actuation sled and knife are moved therealong.
1. A surgical stapling apparatus for joining body tissue, comprising:
a staple anvil having a knife track;
a staple cartridge adjacent the staple anvil, the staple cartridge and staple anvil being juxtaposable with one another, the staple cartridge including a plurality of surgical staples arranged in linear rows, the staple cartridge having a knife slot extending between two of the linear rows;
a staple actuator having at least one cam wedge for ejecting the staples;
a driving member for distally translating the staple actuator to eject the staples from the staple cartridge and drive the staples toward the anvil;
a knife blade arranged to translate distally along the linear rows of staples with the staple actuator; and
a wound closure material applicator assembly, including a conduit having a distribution tip defining an orifice, the conduit being attached to the staple actuator and arranged so that the orifice faces proximally, the wound closure material applicator assembly including a source of wound closure material.
2. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the staple cartridge defines at least two linear rows of staples on either side of the knife slot.
3. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the knife blade is attached to the staple actuator.
4. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the staple actuator has an upstanding shank for supporting the knife blade.
5. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conduit has a plurality of apertures defined along a side of the conduit.
6. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the source of wound closure material includes a first reservoir having a first component of the wound closure material, and a second reservoir having a second component of the wound closure material.
7. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conduit has a second distribution tip.
8. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a clamping handle, the clamping handle being movable to move the staple cartridge and staple anvil into a clamping position.
9. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the staple actuator is removably attached to the driving member and contained in the staple cartridge, the staple cartridge being replaceable.
10. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the source of wound closure material is selected from the group consisting of a syringe and a compressible reservoir.