STAPLE POCKET ARRANGEMENT FOR SURGICAL STAPLER
A staple pocket arrangement on the anvil portion of a surgical stapler device includes pairs of staple pockets corresponding to each one of a plurality of staples to be closed. Each respective staple leg is received at a longitudinal end of the staple pocket that provides a relatively wide target area for receiving the staple leg to eliminate or at least minimize the likelihood that a staple leg will miss the staple pocket. The staple pockets may be arranged in rows, each row of staple pockets being longitudinally offset from another row, such that each staple pocket in a first row of staple pockets is nested with a staple pocket from an adjacent row of staple pockets to make more efficient use of space on the anvil.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A surgical stapler device for closing a plurality of staples, the surgical stapler device comprising:
an anvil portion defining a longitudinal axis that extends through a proximal end and a distal end of the anvil portion, the anvil portion including at least two rows of staple pockets, each row of the at least two rows of staple pockets extending longitudinally and including staple pocket set corresponding to each staple of the plurality of staples, each staple pocket set dimensioned to receive and form a corresponding staple of the plurality of staples, each staple pocket set including a distal staple pocket spaced apart from a proximal staple pocket, the distal staple pocket dimensioned to receive and form a distal staple leg of the corresponding staple, the proximal staple pocket dimensioned to receive and form a proximal staple leg of the corresponding staple, each staple pocket defined between a wide end and a narrow end, wherein the distal staple pocket of a first staple pocket set of a first one of the at least two rows is longitudinally aligned with the proximal staple pocket or a second staple pocket set of a second one of the at least two rows such that the wide end of the distal staple pocket of the first staple pocket set is longitudinally aligned with the narrow end of the proximal staple pocket of the second staple pocket set.
3 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein the first one of the at least two rows is adjacent to the second one of the at least two rows in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.
4 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 . wherein the first staple pocket set and the second staple pocket set are longitudinally offset.
5 . The surgical stapler device of claim 4 , wherein the first staple pocket set and the second staple pocket set are longitudinally offset by one half of a center-to-center pitch of one of the staple pocket sets.
6 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein each staple pocket has a generally triangular shape foot print.
7 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein the distal staple pocket and the proximal staple pocket of each staple pocket set are disposed in mirrored relation.
8 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein each staple pocket includes a curved canyon floor adapted to form one of the proximal and distal staple legs of one of the plurality of staples into an arc.
9 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein each staple pocket includes walls along which one of the proximal and distal staple legs of one of the plurality of staples is guided, the walls being steeply angled with respect to a tissue contact surface of the anvil portion.
10 . The surgical stapler device of claim 2 , wherein a centerline is defined between the narrow end and the wide end of each staple pocket, the narrow end of each staple pocket extending to an apex, the apex being disposed along the centerline, the centerline disposed in parallel with the longitudinal axis.
11 . An anvil for use with a surgical stapling device, the anvil comprising:
a pair of rows of staple pockets, each row of the pair of rows of staple pockets extending longitudinally and including at least one staple pocket set dimensioned to receive and form staple, each staple pocket set including a distal staple pocket spaced apart from a proximal staple pocket, the distal staple pocket dimensioned to receive and form a distal staple leg or the staple, the proximal staple pocket dimensioned to receive and form a proximal staple leg of the staple, each staple pocket defined between a wide end and a narrow end, wherein the distal staple pocket of a first staple pocket set of a first one or the pair of rows is longitudinally aligned with the proximal staple pocket of a second staple pocket set of a second one of the pair of rows such that the wide end of the distal staple pocket of the first staple pocket set is longitudinally aligned with the narrow end of the proximal staple pocket of the second staple pocket set.
12 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein the first staple pocket set and the second staple pocket set are longitudinally offset.
13 . The anvil of claim 12 , wherein the first staple pocket set and the second staple pocket set are longitudinally offset by one half of a center-to-center pitch of the first staple pocket set.
14 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein each staple pocket has a generally triangular shape foot print.
15 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein the distal staple pocket and the proximal staple pocket are disposed in mirrored relation.
16 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein each staple pocket includes a curved canyon floor adapted to form one of the proximal and distal staple legs of the staple into an arc.
17 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein each staple pocket includes walls along which one of the proximal and distal staple legs of the staple is guided, the walls being steeply angled with respect to a tissue contact surface of the anvil.
18 . The anvil of claim 11 , wherein a centerline is defined between the narrow end and the wide end of each staple pocket, the narrow end of each staple pocket extending to an apex, the apex being disposed along the centerline, the centerline in parallel with a knife slot defined through the anvil.
19 . The anvil or claim 18 , wherein a first pair of rows of staple pockets are defined on a first side of the knife slot and a second pair of rows of staple pockets are defined on a second side of the knife slot.