Surgical instrument with pivotable jaw member
View Patent ↗A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a handle assembly, an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis, and an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion. The end effector includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The first jaw member defines a first axis, which is transverse to the longitudinal axis. The first jaw member is pivotable about the first axis. At least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable with respect to the other between a spaced-apart and an approximated position.
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion;
an elongated portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis and having a distal portion;
a first jaw adjacent the distal portion of the elongated portion, the first jaw defining a first axis extending along the first jaw, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, the first jaw including a plurality of surgical fasteners and first and second pushers for advancing the fasteners;
a second jaw defining a second axis extending along the second jaw, the second axis being parallel to the first axis, the first jaw member being pivotable about the first axis and the second jaw being pivotable about the second axis, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being movable with respect to the other jaw between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to clamp tissue between the first and second jaws; and
a selector actuable to selectively enable advancement of either the first pusher or the second pusher, wherein when the first pusher advances fasteners the second pusher does not advance fasteners.
2. The surgical instrument of Claim 1 wherein the second jaw is configured to pivot about the second axis in response to pivoting of the first jaw about the first axis.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the second jaw includes an anvil to form the fasteners.
4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the surgical fasteners are arranged in multiple rows transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the selector is rotatable to pivot the first jaw from a first position to a second position for alignment with the selected pusher.
6. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further including a firing rod disposed in mechanical cooperation with the selector, the firing rod being configured to individually engage one of the pushers depending on a position of the first jaw.
7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw includes a circular outer portion to engage a circular inner portion of a housing.
8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the second jaw includes a bore to receive a post-like structure.
9. A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion;
an elongated portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis and having a distal portion;
a first jaw adjacent the distal portion of the elongated portion, the first jaw defining a first axis extending along the first jaw, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, the first jaw including a plurality of surgical fasteners and first and second pushers for advancing the fasteners;
a second jaw, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being movable with respect to the other jaw between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to clamp tissue between the first and second jaws;
a selector actuable to selectively enable advancement of either the first pusher or the second pusher; and
a third pusher for advancing a knife to cut tissue and the selector is actuable to independently advance the third pusher to advance the knife.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the three pushers are angularly offset.
11. The surgical instrument of claim 10 , wherein the three pushers intersect one another.
12. A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion;
an elongated portion extending distally from the handle portion;
a first jaw pivotable from a first position to a second different position, in the first position the first jaw advances a first set of fasteners and the jaw is subsequently pivotable to the second position to advance a second set of fasteners, the second set of fasteners advanceable independent of advancement of the first set of fasteners; and
a second jaw, wherein at least one of the first jaw and the second jaws is movable with respect to the other jaw between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position.
13. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first jaw defines a first axis extending along the first jaw and the second jaw defines a second axis extending along the second jaw, the second axis being parallel to the first axis, and wherein the second jaw is pivotable about the second axis.
14. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first jaw contains a first pusher to advance the first set of fasteners and a second pusher to advance the second set of fasteners.
15. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first set of fasteners are arranged in a first row and the second set of fasteners are arranged in a second row.
16. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the second jaw includes an anvil to form the fasteners.
17. The surgical instrument of claim 15 , further comprising a knife disposed at least partially within the first jaw and wherein the knife is movable between the first and second rows of fasteners and is individually actuable.
18. The surgical instrument of claim 17 , wherein the first jaw includes three angularly offset pushers disposed therein and wherein each of the three pushers is independently moveable with respect to each other.
19. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , further including a firing rod disposed in mechanical cooperation with the handle portion, the firing rod being configured to individually engage at least two offset pushers disposed at least partially within the first jaw.
20. A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion;
an elongated portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis and having a distal portion;
a first jaw adjacent the distal portion of the elongated portion, the first jaw defining a first axis extending along the first jaw, the first axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, the first jaw including a plurality of surgical fasteners and first and second pushers for advancing the fasteners;
a second jaw, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being movable with respect to the other jaw between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to clamp tissue between the first and second jaws; and
a selector actuable to selectively enable advancement of either the first pusher or the second pusher, the selector being rotatable to pivot the first jaw from a first position to a second position for alignment with the selected pusher, wherein when the first pusher advances fasteners the second pusher does not advance fasteners.