Granted Patent B2

US 10,568,652 · App. 15/077,454 · Granted Feb 25, 2020

Inventors: Christopher J. Hess (Blue Ash, OH); Jerome R. Morgan (Cincinnati, OH); Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); William B. Weisenburgh, II (Maineville, OH)

Assignee: Ethicon LLC

A61B17/320016

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A stapling assembly, comprising:

a cartridge jaw, comprising:

a distal end;

a cartridge body comprising a deck, wherein said deck comprises a first longitudinal step having a first step height and a second longitudinal step having a second step height, and wherein said first step height is different than said second step height;

a longitudinal slot defined in said deck, wherein said longitudinal slot extends between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of said deck;

a first longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said first step;

a second longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said second step;

a third longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said deck;

a plurality of first staples removably stored in said first longitudinal row of staple cavities;

a plurality of second staples removably stored in said second longitudinal row of staple cavities; and

a plurality of third staples removably stored in said third longitudinal row of staple cavities;

a staple driving system, comprising:

first staple supports configured to support said first staples at a first unfired height;

second staple supports configured to support said second staples at a second unfired height which is different than said first unfired height; and

third staple supports configured to support said third staples, wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are interconnected in a first driver arrangement, wherein said second staple support is longitudinally offset from said first staple support in said first driver arrangement, wherein said first driver arrangement comprises a first geometry, wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are interconnected in a second driver arrangement, wherein said second driver arrangement comprises a second geometry which is different than said first geometry of said first driver arrangement;

an anvil, comprising:

a tissue compression surface, wherein a tissue gap is defined between said tissue compression surface and said deck of said cartridge body, and wherein said tissue gap comprises a gap height which changes laterally with respect to said longitudinal slot defined in said deck;

a first group of forming pockets configured to deform said first staples to a first fired height;

a second group of forming pockets configured to deform said second staples to a second fired height which is different than said first fired height; and

a third group of forming pockets configured to deform said third staples; and

a firing member movable toward said distal end during a staple firing stroke, wherein said firing member is configured to move said first staple supports, said second staple supports, and said third staple supports toward said anvil during said staple firing stroke, and wherein said firing member comprises a compliant member configured to engage said cartridge jaw during said staple firing stroke.

2. The stapling assembly of claim 1 , wherein said compliant member is comprised of plastic.

3. The stapling assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first group of forming pockets are configured to deform said first staples into a B-shaped configuration, and wherein said second group of forming pockets are configured to deform said second staples into a B-shaped configuration.

4. A stapling assembly, comprising:

a cartridge jaw, comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a deck, wherein said deck comprises a first longitudinal step having a first step height and a second longitudinal step having a second step height, and wherein said first step height is different than said second step height;

a longitudinal slot defined in said deck, wherein said longitudinal slot extends between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of said deck;

a first longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said first step;

a second longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said second step;

a third longitudinal row of staple cavities defined in said deck;

a plurality of first staples removably stored in said first longitudinal row of staple cavities;

a plurality of second staples removably stored in said second longitudinal row of staple cavities; and

a plurality of third staples removably stored in said third longitudinal row of staple cavities;

a staple driving system, comprising:

a longitudinal row of first staple supports configured to support said first staples at a first unfired height;

a longitudinal row of second staple supports configured to support said second staples at a second unfired height which is different than said first unfired height; and

a longitudinal row of third staple supports configured to support said third staples, wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are connected in a first driver geometry, and wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are connected in a second driver geometry which is different than said first driver arrangement geometry;

an anvil, comprising:

a tissue compression surface, wherein a tissue gap is defined between said tissue compression surface and said deck of said cartridge body, and wherein said tissue gap comprises a gap height which changes laterally with respect to said longitudinal slot defined in said deck;

a first longitudinal row of forming pockets aligned with said first longitudinal row of staple cavities, wherein said first longitudinal row of forming pockets are configured to deform said first staples to a first fired height;

a second longitudinal row of forming pockets aligned with said second longitudinal row of staple cavities, wherein said second longitudinal row of forming pockets are configured to deform said second staples to a second fired height which is different than said first fired height; and

a third longitudinal row of forming pockets aligned with said third longitudinal row of staple cavities; and

a firing member configured to move said longitudinal row of first staple supports, said longitudinal row of second staple supports, and said longitudinal row of third staple supports toward said anvil during a staple firing stroke, wherein said firing member comprises a compliant member configured to engage said cartridge jaw during said staple firing stroke.

5. The stapling assembly of claim 4 , wherein said compliant member is comprised of plastic.

6. The stapling assembly of claim 4 , wherein said first longitudinal row of forming pockets are configured to deform said first staples into a B-shaped configuration, and wherein said second longitudinal row of forming pockets are configured to deform said second staples into a B-shaped configuration.

7. A stapling assembly, comprising:

a cartridge jaw, comprising:

a distal end;

a cartridge body comprising a deck, wherein said deck comprises a first longitudinal step having a first step height and a second longitudinal step having a second step height, and wherein said first step height is different than said second step height;

a longitudinal slot defined in said deck, wherein said longitudinal slot extends between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of said deck;

a first group of staple cavities defined in said first step;

a second group of staple cavities defined in said second step;

a third group of staple cavities defined in said deck;

a plurality of first staples removably stored in said first group of staple cavities;

a plurality of second staples removably stored in said second group of staple cavities; and

a plurality of third staples removably stored in said third group of staple cavities;

a staple driving system, comprising:

first staple supports configured to support said first staples at a first unfired height;

second staple supports configured to support said second staples at a second unfired height which is different than said first unfired height; and

third staple supports configured to support said third staples, wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are interlocked in a first driver arrangement, wherein said first driver arrangement comprises a first geometry, wherein a said first staple support, a said second staple support, and a said third staple support are interlocked in a second driver arrangement, wherein said second driver arrangement comprises a second geometry which is different than said first geometry of said first driver arrangement;

an anvil, comprising:

a tissue compression surface, wherein a tissue gap is defined between said tissue compression surface and said deck of said cartridge body, and wherein said tissue gap comprises a gap height which changes laterally with respect to said longitudinal slot defined in said deck;

a first group of forming pockets configured to deform said first staples to a first fired height;

a second group of forming pockets configured to deform said second staples to a second fired height which is different than said first fired height; and

a third group of forming pockets configured to deform said third staples; and

a firing member movable toward said distal end during a staple firing stroke, wherein said firing member is configured to move said first staples, said second staples, and said third staples toward said anvil during said staple firing stroke, and wherein said firing member comprises a compliant member configured to engage said cartridge jaw during said staple firing stroke.

8. The stapling assembly of claim 7 , wherein said compliant member is comprised of plastic.

9. The stapling assembly of claim 7 , wherein said first group of forming pockets are configured to deform said first staples into a B-shaped configuration, and wherein said second group of forming pockets are configured to deform said second staples into a B-shaped configuration.

Assignments (3)

Cited By (59)

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