STAPLING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A TISSUE DRIVE
A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient is disclosed. The surgical stapler comprises a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, a plurality of staple cartridges, and an end effector comprising a tissue compression surface and an anvil comprising staple forming pockets, wherein the anvil is movable toward the tissue compression surface during a closing motion. The surgical stapler further comprises an anvil closing system configured to move the anvil through the closing motion, a staple firing system configured to deploy the staple cartridges along a path, and means for gripping the patient tissue and creating relative movement between the end effector and the patient tissue to re-position the end effector along the path.
1 . A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
an end effector, comprising:
a tissue compression surface; and
an anvil comprising staple forming pockets, wherein said anvil is movable toward said tissue compression surface during a closing motion;
an anvil closing system configured to move said anvil through said closing motion; and
a propulsion system, comprising:
a first foot configured to engage the patient tissue and move said end effector relative to the patient tissue during a first propulsion stroke; and
a second foot configured to engage the patient tissue and move said end effector relative to the patient tissue during a second propulsion stroke.
2 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system is configured to repetitively sequence said first propulsion stroke and said second propulsion stroke, whereby said propulsion system can walk said end effector relative to the patient tissue.
3 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system is configured to complete said first propulsion stroke before beginning said second propulsion stroke.
4 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system is configured to at least partially complete said first propulsion stroke before beginning said second propulsion stroke.
5 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system comprises means for synchronizing said first propulsion stroke and said second propulsion stroke.
6 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said end effector further comprises a staple cartridge comprising a plurality of staples.
7 . The surgical stapler of claim 6 , further comprising a staple firing system configured to deploy said staples during a staple firing stroke.
8 . The surgical stapler of claim 7 , wherein said propulsion system comprises synchronizing means for performing said closing motion after said first propulsion stroke and said second propulsion stroke have both been performed.
9 . The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein said synchronizing means performs said staple firing stroke after said closure stroke has been performed.
10 . The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein said synchronizing means includes a mechanism.
11 . The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein said synchronizing means comprises a controller including a microprocessor.
12 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system is configured to perform said first propulsion stroke and said second propulsion stroke at the same time.
13 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system is configured to perform said first propulsion stroke to steer said end effector in a first direction and said second propulsion stroke to steer said end effector in a second direction.
14 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum system in communication with at least one of said first foot and said second foot, wherein said vacuum system is configured to hold the patient tissue within said end effector utilizing said vacuum system.
15 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said first foot comprises a first rotatable element and said second foot comprises a second rotatable element.
16 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said first foot comprises a first set of teeth configured to grip the patient tissue and said second foot comprises a second set of teeth configured to grip the patient tissue.
17 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said first foot comprises a first translatable element and said second foot comprises a second translatable element.
18 . The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said first foot comprises a first base and a first extendable portion which is extendable relative to said first base, and wherein said second foot comprises a second base and a second extendable portion which is extendable relative to said second base.
19 . A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
an end effector, comprising:
a tissue compression surface; and
an anvil comprising staple forming pockets, wherein said anvil is movable toward said tissue compression surface during a closing motion;
an anvil closing system configured to move said anvil through said closing motion; and
a tissue advancement system comprising a foot configured to engage the patient tissue and pull the patient tissue relative to said end effector during a tissue advancement stroke.
20 . A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
a plurality of staple cartridges;
an end effector, comprising:
a tissue compression surface; and
an anvil comprising staple forming pockets, wherein said anvil is movable toward said tissue compression surface during a closing motion;
an anvil closing system configured to move said anvil through said closing motion;
a staple firing system configured to deploy said staple cartridges along a path; and
means for gripping the patient tissue and creating relative movement between said end effector and the patient tissue to re-position said end effector along said path.