MOTOR DRIVEN SURGICAL FASTENER DEVICE WITH CUTTING MEMBER LOCKOUT ARRANGEMENTS

1 . A surgical fastener apparatus comprising:

a. a handle, an elongated shaft having a proximal end attached to said handle and a distal end extending therefrom, an end effector comprising a pair of jaws pivoted at a proximal end thereof and movable between an open and closed position, and a cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners, said cartridge attached to said end effector;

b. an electrically powered actuator for deploying said surgical fasteners, said actuator comprising a power source and a motor;

c. a first trigger attached to said handle for moving said end effector from said open to said closed position, and a second trigger attached to said handle for activating said actuator;

d. a first lockout mechanism for preventing current from flowing from said power source to said motor unless said end effector is in its closed position; and

e. a second lockout mechanism having a locked and unlocked position, said second lockout mechanism for preventing movement of said second trigger until said second lockout mechanism is moved to said unlocked position.

2 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first lockout mechanism comprises:

a latch operably mounted to one of said handle and said first trigger portion for releasably retaining the first trigger in a position corresponding to said closed position of said end effector; and

a closure lock switch on one of said handle and latch, said closure lock switch connected to said power source and said motor such that when said latch retains said first trigger in said position corresponding to said closed position of said end effector, said closure lock switch permits current to flow from said power source to said motor and when said first trigger is not in said position corresponding to said closed position, said closure lock switch prevents current from flowing from said power source to said motor.

3 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second lockout mechanism comprises a start switch connected to said power source and said motor and configured to prevent current from flowing from said power source to said motor unless said start switch is activated.

4 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second lockout mechanism comprises a movable member on said handle, said movable member movable between a first position wherein movement of said second trigger is prevented and a second position wherein said second trigger may be activated.

5 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cartridge is removably supported within a channel portion of said end effector and wherein said surgical fastener apparatus comprises a cartridge sensor switch connected to said power source and said motor, said cartridge sensor switch preventing current from flowing from said power source to said motor unless a cartridge is operably supported within said channel portion of said end effector.

6 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuator further comprises an actuator portion that is movable within said end effector between an unactuated position to actuated positions and wherein said motor operably interfaces with said actuator portion to selectively apply a distal driving motion thereto to move said actuator portion from said unactuated position to said actuated positions and to selectively apply a proximal driving motion to said actuator portion to retract said actuator portion to said unactuated position from said actuated positions.

7 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrically powered actuator further comprises:

a rotary drive shaft rotatably supported within said end effector and operably coupled to said motor for receiving rotary motion therefrom; and

an actuator portion operably interfacing with said rotary drive shaft such that, upon application of current in a first direction to said motor, said actuator portion is driven from an unactuated position to an actuated position within said end effector and upon application of current in a second direction to said motor, said actuator portion is driven from said actuated position to said unactuated position.

8 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 7 wherein said actuator portion comprises a cutting member and a sled portion for applying actuation motions to said plurality of surgical fasteners within said cartridge.

9 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 2 wherein said latch comprises a hook pivotally attached to said handle and selectively movable from an unlatched position to a latched position wherein said hook retainingly engages a portion of said first trigger.

10 . The surgical fastener apparatus of claim 9 wherein said hook is biased into said latched position.

11 . A surgical fastener apparatus comprising:

a handle;

an end effector operably coupled to said handle and having a movable anvil supported thereon, said movable anvil movable between open and closed positions in response to open and closing motions applied to a closure trigger operably supported on said handle;

an actuator movable within said end effector between an unactuated position to actuated positions within said end effector;

an electric motor operably interfacing with said actuator to selectively apply a distal driving motion thereto to move said actuator from said unactuated position to said actuated positions and to selectively apply a proximal driving motion to said actuator to retract said actuator to said unactuated position from said actuated positions;

a power source connected to said motor for electrically powering the motor; and

a current control circuit connected to the power source for controlling current supplied to said motor from said power source, said current control circuit comprising:

a closure lock switch connected to said power source and said motor such that when said closure trigger is retained in a locked position wherein said anvil is retained in said closed position, said closure lock switch permits current to flow from said power source to said motor and when said closure trigger is not in said locked position, said closure lock switch prevents current from flowing from said power source to said motor; and

a start switch connected to said power source and said motor and preventing current from flowing from said power source to said motor unless said start switch is manually activated.

12 . The surgical fastening apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a latch movably coupled to said handle and configured to releaseably retain said closure trigger in said locked position.

13 . The surgical fastening apparatus of claim 12 wherein said closure lock stitch is mounted to said latch.

14 . The surgical fastening apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a firing trigger operably coupled to said handle and wherein said current control circuit comprises a run motor control switch connected to said power source and operated by said firing trigger such that upon application of an actuation motion to said firing trigger, said run motor switch permits current to flow to said motor in a first direction to cause said motor to apply said distal driving motion to said actuator.

15 . A surgical fastener apparatus comprising:

a handle;

an end effector operably coupled to said handle and having a movable anvil supported thereon, said movable anvil movable between open and closed positions in response to open and closing motions applied to a closure trigger operably supported on said handle;

an actuator movable within said end effector between an unactuated position to actuated positions within said end effector;

an electric motor operably interfacing with said actuator to selectively apply a distal driving motion thereto to move said actuator from said unactuated position to said actuated positions and to selectively apply a proximal driving motion to said actuator to retract said actuator to said unactuated position from said actuated positions;

a power source connected to said motor for electrically powering the motor;

a firing trigger operably supported on said handle and movable between actuated and unactuated positions;

a firing switch coupled to said power source and said motor and interfacing with said firing trigger such that, upon movement of said firing trigger from said unactuated position to said actuated positions, said firing switch permits current to flow to said motor to apply said distal driving motion to said actuator;

a closure lock switch connected to said power source and said motor such that when said closure trigger is retained in a locked position wherein said anvil is retained in said closed position, said closure lock switch permits current to flow from said power source to said motor and when said closure trigger is not in said locked position, said closure lock switch prevents current from flowing from said power source to said motor; and

a movable lock member movable between a first position wherein movement of said second trigger from said unactuated position to said actuated positions is prevented and a second position wherein said second trigger may be moved from said unactuated position to said actuated positions.