Surgical stapling apparatus with curved cartridge and anvil assemblies
A surgical instrument is designed for clamping, cutting, and/or joining tissue. This surgical instrument includes a handle portion, an elongate portion extending distally from the handle portion, first and second jaw members disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, a shaft movable upon actuation of the handle portion, and a knife bar operatively coupled to the shaft. At least one of the jaw members is movable with respect to the other between an open position and an approximated position for engaging body tissue therebetween. The knife bar has a curved profile and moves along at least one of the jaw members upon movement of the shaft.
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a handle portion;
an elongate portion extending distally from the handle portion;
a fastener jaw member disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongate portion, the fastener jaw member being configured to contain a plurality of fasteners;
an opposing jaw member disposed adjacent the distal end of the elongate portion, wherein at least one of the jaw members is movable relative to the other jaw member between an open position and an approximated position;
a shaft disposed in mechanical cooperation with the elongate portion;
a pinion mounted adjacent a distal end of the shaft; and
a knife bar including a rack adapted to mesh with the pinion, the knife bar movable with respect to at least one of the fastener jaw member or the opposing jaw member between a retracted position and a deployed position upon rotation of the shaft.
2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein each of the fastener jaw member and the opposing jaw member includes a curved configuration.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the knife bar includes a curved profile.
4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pinion is rotatably mounted on a distal end of the shaft.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a knife extending from the knife bar, wherein at least one of the fastener jaw member or the opposing jaw member includes a sleeve adapted to receive the knife bar in a retracted position, and wherein the knife bar is movable in a continuous path between the sleeve and the at least one of the fastener jaw member or the opposing jaw member.
6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein each of the fastener jaw member and the opposing jaw member include a knife channel for guiding movement of the knife along fastener jaw member and the opposing jaw member.
7. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the sleeve is configured to receive at least a majority of the knife bar in a retracted position.
8. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the sleeve is included on only one of the fastener jaw member or the opposing jaw member.
9. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein an entirety of the sleeve is external to the elongate portion.
10. An end effector for use with a surgical instrument including an elongate portion, the end effector comprising:
a first jaw member;
a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member or the second jaw member is movable along a first axis between an open position and an approximated position with respect to the other jaw member; and
a knife bar movable with respect to the first jaw member along a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis.
11. The end effector of claim 10 , wherein the knife bar includes a knife extending therefrom, and wherein each of the first jaw member and the second jaw member includes a knife channel for guiding movement of the knife along the first jaw member and the second jaw member.
12. The end effector of claim 10 , where the first jaw member includes a sleeve adapted to receive the knife bar in a retracted position.
13. The end effector of claim 12 , wherein the sleeve is configured to receive at least a majority of the knife bar in a retracted position.
14. The end effector of claim 12 , wherein the sleeve is included on only one of the first jaw member or the second jaw member.
15. The end effector of claim 10 , wherein each of the first jaw member and the second jaw member includes a curved configuration.
16. The end effector of claim 10 , wherein the knife bar includes a rack adapted to mesh with a pinion of the surgical instrument.
17. The end effector of claim 12 , wherein at least a majority of the sleeve is disposed at a non-parallel angle with respect to a distal end of the elongate portion of the surgical instrument.
18. The end effector of claim 12 , wherein the sleeve is disposed at a perpendicular angle with respect to a distal end of the elongate portion of the surgical instrument.
19. The end effector of claim 12 , wherein an entirety of the sleeve is external to the elongate portion of the surgical instrument.