Stapling instrument comprising a staple feeding system
A surgical stapler comprising an end effector and a system configured to feed staples into the end effector is disclosed.
1. A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
a plurality of staple clusters, wherein each said staple cluster comprises a plurality of connected staples, and wherein said plurality of staple clusters comprises a staged staple cluster;
an end effector, comprising:
a tissue compression surface; and
an anvil comprising staple forming pockets;
a staple cluster feeding system, comprising:
a pusher configured to advance said staged staple cluster into said end effector;
a divider configured to separate the staples within a single said staged staple cluster into a plurality of divided staple clusters; and
a guide configured to align said divided staple clusters with said staple forming pockets; and
a staple firing system configured to deploy said divided staple clusters during a single staple firing stroke.
2. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the staples of each said staple cluster are releasably held together by an adhesive.
3. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , further comprising a cutting member configured to cut the patient tissue.
4. The surgical stapler of claim 3 , wherein each said staple cluster comprises six staples, and wherein said divider is configured to split each said staple cluster into a first group of three staples on a first side of said cutting member and a second group of three staples on a second side of said cutting member.
5. The surgical stapler of claim 3 , wherein each said staple cluster comprises eight staples, and wherein said divider is configured to split each said staple cluster into a first group of four staples on a first side of said cutting member and a second group of four staples on a second side of said cutting member.
6. The surgical stapler of claim 3 , wherein each said staple cluster comprises four staples, and wherein said divider is configured to split each said staple cluster into a first group of two staples on a first side of said cutting member and a second group of two staples on a second side of said cutting member.
7. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of staple clusters comprises a first staple cluster and a second staple cluster, wherein said first staple cluster is comprised of first staples having a first size, and wherein said second staple cluster is comprised of second staples having a second size which is different than said first size.
8. The surgical stapler of claim 7 , wherein said first staples are shorter than said second staples.
9. The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein said first staple cluster is deployed before said second staple cluster.
10. The surgical stapler of claim 8 , wherein said first staple cluster is deployed after said second staple cluster.
11. The surgical stapler of claim 7 , wherein said second staples are wider than said first staples.
12. The surgical stapler of claim 11 , wherein said first staple cluster is deployed before said second staple cluster.
13. The surgical stapler of claim 11 , wherein said first staple cluster is deployed after said second staple cluster.
14. A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
a plurality of staples;
an end effector, comprising:
a tissue compression surface;
a tissue cutting knife; and
an anvil comprising staple forming pockets;
a staple cluster feeding system comprising a divider, wherein said staple cluster feeding system is configured to:
advance a quantity of said staples into said end effector;
wherein said divider separates said quantity of staples into a first cluster of staples on a first side of said tissue cutting knife and a second cluster of staples on a second side of said tissue cutting knife; and
align said first cluster of staples with a first cluster of forming pockets of said staple forming pockets positioned on said first side of said tissue cutting knife and said second cluster of staples with a second cluster of forming pockets of said staple forming pockets positioned on said second side of said tissue cutting knife; and
a staple firing system configured to deploy said first cluster of staples and said second cluster of staples during a single staple firing motion.