Granted Patent B2

US 10,973,520 · App. 16/281,660 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); Jason L. Harris (Lebanon, OH); Gregory J. Bakos (Mason, OH)

Assignee: Ethicon LLC

A61B17/07207A61B2017/00017A61B2017/0046A61B2017/00398A61B2017/00477A61B2017/00734A61B2017/07257A61B2017/07271A61B2017/07278A61B2017/07285A61B2017/2903A61B2017/2927A61B2017/2929A61B2017/2933A61B2017/2939A61B2017/2946A61B2090/034A61B2090/037A61B2090/0801A61B2090/0814

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A surgical staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapler including a channel and an anvil movably supported relative thereto and a firing member that is configured to progressively axially engage the anvil and the channel, wherein said surgical staple cartridge comprises:

a cartridge body comprising a cartridge deck surface;

a plurality of surgical staples removably stored in said cartridge body;

a cam assembly movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to operably interface with the firing member such that axial movement of the firing member in a distal direction drives said cam assembly from a starting position in said cartridge body to an ending position; and

a cutting member movably supported by said cam assembly, wherein said cutting member is movable between a deployed position wherein at least a portion of said cutting member extends above said cartridge deck surface of said cartridge body and a recessed position wherein said at least a portion of said cutting member is below said cartridge deck surface, wherein said cutting member is retained in said deployed position when said cam assembly is in said starting position, wherein said cartridge body further comprises a garage portion configured to enclose said at least a portion of said cutting member when said cam assembly is in said starting position and said cutting member is in said deployed position, and wherein said cutting member is retained in said deployed position by a severable retainer in said garage portion.

2. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 , wherein said cartridge body further comprises a release feature configured to move said cutting member to said recessed position when said cam assembly is moved to said ending position.

3. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the firing member is motor driven.

4. A surgical staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapler including a channel and an anvil movably supported relative thereto and a firing member that is configured to progressively axially engage the anvil and the channel, wherein said surgical staple cartridge comprises:

a cartridge body comprising a cartridge deck surface;

a plurality of surgical staples removably stored in said cartridge body;

a cam assembly movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to operably interface with the firing member such that axial movement of the firing member in a distal direction drives said cam assembly from a starting position in said cartridge body to an ending position; and

a cutting member movably supported by said cam assembly, wherein said cutting member is movable between a deployed position wherein at least a portion of said cutting member extends above said cartridge deck surface of said cartridge body and a recessed position wherein said at least a portion of said cutting member is below said cartridge deck surface, and wherein said cutting member is retained in said deployed position by a latch feature on the firing member when said cartridge body is operably seated in the channel.

5. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 4 , wherein said cutting member is retained in said deployed position by said latch feature on the firing member when the firing member drives said cam assembly in said distal direction from said starting position to said ending position.

6. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 5 , wherein said latch feature on the firing member is configured to disengage said cutting member when the firing member is retracted in a proximal direction.

7. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 4 , further comprising a biaser for biasing said cutting member into said recessed position when said latch feature is disengaged from said cam assembly.

8. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 4 , wherein said cartridge body further comprises a release feature configured to move said cutting member to said recessed position when said cam assembly is moved to said ending position.

9. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the firing member is motor driven.

10. A surgical staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapler including a channel and an anvil movably supported relative thereto and a firing member that is configured to progressively axially engage the anvil and the channel, said surgical staple cartridge, comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a cartridge deck surface;

a plurality of surgical staples removably stored in said cartridge body;

a cam assembly movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to operably interface with the firing member such that axial movement of the firing member in a distal direction drives said cam assembly from a starting position in said cartridge body to an ending position; and

a cutting member stored in a ready position in a proximal portion of said cartridge body, wherein said cutting member comprises a body member that defines a knife blade and a pair of spaced spring arms that define a retention space therebetween that is configured to retainingly receive a portion of the firing member therebetween to removably attach said cutting member to the firing member when the firing member is driven distally into contact with said cutting member, when said cutting member is in said ready position.

11. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10 , wherein said cutting member is removably attached to the firing member as the firing member is driven distally from an initial position, and wherein, when the firing member is retracted back to the initial position, the cutting member is removed therefrom to be retained within a blade storage garage on said proximal portion of said cartridge body.

12. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10 , wherein said cartridge body further comprises a release feature configured to move said cutting member to a recessed position when said cam assembly is moved to said ending position.

13. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the firing member is motor driven.

14. A surgical staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapler including a channel and an anvil movably supported relative thereto and a firing member that is configured to progressively axially engage the anvil and the channel, said surgical staple cartridge, comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a cartridge deck surface;

a plurality of surgical staples removably stored in said cartridge body;

a cam assembly movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to operably interface with the firing member such that axial movement of the firing member in a distal direction drives said cam assembly from a starting position in said cartridge body to an ending position; and

a cutting member configured for removable attachment to the firing member when the firing member is driven distally into contact therewith, wherein said cutting member is retained within a blade storage garage on a proximal end of said cartridge body prior to attachment to the firing member.

15. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the firing member is threaded onto a rotary drive shaft, and wherein said cam assembly is slidably journaled on the rotary drive shaft.

16. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 14 , wherein said cartridge body further comprises a release feature configured to move said cutting member to a recessed position when said cam assembly is moved to said ending position.

17. The surgical staple cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the firing member is motor driven.

18. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a cartridge support;

an anvil wherein one of said anvil and said cartridge support is movable relative to the other of said anvil and said cartridge support between open and closed positions;

an I-beam firing member configured to progressively axially engage said anvil and said cartridge support; and

a surgical staple cartridge, comprising

a cartridge body configured to be removably supported in said cartridge support and comprising a cartridge deck surface;

a plurality of surgical staples removably stored in said cartridge body;

a cam assembly movably supported in said cartridge body and configured to

operably interface with said I-beam firing member such that axial movement of said I-beam firing member in a distal direction drives said cam assembly from a starting position in said cartridge body to an ending position; and

a cutting member movably supported by said cam assembly between a

deployed position wherein at least a portion of said cutting member extends above said cartridge deck surface of said cartridge body and a recessed position wherein said at least a portion of said cutting member is below said cartridge deck surface, and wherein said cutting member is retained in said deployed position by a latch feature on said I-beam firing member when said cartridge body is operably seated in said cartridge support.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , further comprising:

an elongate shaft assembly operably coupled to said cartridge support;

a housing operably attached to said elongate shaft assembly; and

a motor operably supported by said housing and interfacing with said I-beam firing member to axially drive said I-beam firing member.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein said cartridge body further comprises a release feature configured to move said cutting member to said recessed position when said cam assembly is moved to said ending position.

21. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein said I-beam firing member is motor driven.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (19)

Cited By (101)

US 12,185,946 US 12,193,636 US 12,193,698 US 12,193,766 US 12,201,339 US 12,207,820 US 12,207,835 US 12,213,666 US 12,213,670 US 12,213,671 US 12,220,126 US 12,226,099 US 12,226,100 US 12,226,151 US 12,226,166 US 12,232,723 US 12,232,724 US 12,239,316 US 12,239,317 US 12,239,320 US 12,239,360 US 12,245,764 US 12,245,901 US 12,251,105 US 12,256,930 US 12,256,931 US 12,256,995 US 12,261,471 US 12,262,888 US 12,262,937 US 12,274,438 US 12,274,445 US 12,285,166 US 12,285,171 US 12,290,261 US 12,295,674 US 12,303,159 US 12,310,586 US 12,318,152 US 12,324,579 US 12,324,580 US 12,324,581 US 12,324,585 US 12,329,467 US 12,336,705 US 12,336,709 US 12,336,747 US 12,343,013 US 12,343,063 US 12,349,961 US 12,357,309 US 12,369,909 US 12,369,911 US 12,369,912 US 12,383,115 US 12,383,259 US 12,383,263 US 12,383,267 US 12,396,806 US 12,402,906 US 12,408,967 US 12,414,768 US 12,432,790 US 12,433,508 US 12,433,584 US 12,433,627 US 12,440,208 US 12,440,209 US 12,440,213 US 12,446,877 US 12,453,557 US 12,453,571 US 12,458,455 US 12,465,363 US 12,465,384 US 12,471,982 US 12,500,948 US 12,502,171 US 12,508,025 US 12,514,584 US 12,521,116 US 12,521,191 US 12,527,571 US 12,527,575 US 12,533,126 US 12,533,127 US 12,549,622 US 12,574,434 US 12,575,855 US 12,582,457 US 12,622,721 US 12,636,006 US 12,648,789 US 12,653,602 US 12,661,175 US 12,672,922 US 12,702,409 US 12,702,466 US 12,708,427 US 12,712,326 US 12,714,425