Surgical staple cartridge with enhanced knife clearance
A surgical instrument having an elongated shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end. An end effector is coupled to the shaft distal end and includes opposed jaws. A housing is included in one of the jaws, the housing having a housing proximal end, a housing distal end, an upper surface, a distal garage having lateral surfaces that extend above the upper surface, and a plurality of staple openings extending through the upper surface. A knife member is supported within the housing for movement distally. The knife member is moveable into a predetermined parked position such that a first portion of the cutting blade displaces below the upper surface and a second portion remains displaced above the upper surface. There is enough lateral clearance in the predetermined parked position between the lateral faces and the second portion to accommodate a dislodged staple.
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
an instrument shaft;
an end effector coupled to the instrument shaft and including opposed jaws;
a knife member having a cutting blade; and
a housing included in one of the jaws; the housing including:
a planar upper surface having staple openings extending through the planar upper surface;
a longitudinal slot accommodating movement of the knife member in a distal direction opposite to a proximal direction; and
a distal garage configured to accommodate the knife member in a parked position, the distal garage including a pair lateral surfaces between which an exposed portion of the cutting blade that protrudes beyond the planar upper surface when the knife member is in the parked position is disposed; the pair of lateral surfaces diverging in the proximal direction so as to provide a proximal-most gap sized to enable the knife member to apply significant bending forces to a staple that bridges the proximal-most gap as the staple is brought into contact with the proximal-most gap by the knife member.
2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pair of lateral surfaces at least partially define a notch in the distal garage sized to accommodate the exposed portion of the cutting blade and a dislodged staple wrapped around the exposed portion of the cutting blade when the knife member is in the parked position, the dislodges staple having a wire diameter of up to 0.25 mm.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the knife member is moveable into the parked position via translation and rotation of the knife member such that a portion of the cutting blade displaces below the planar upper surface and the exposed portion of the cutting blade remains above the planar upper surface.
4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the garage includes at least one staple ejecting surface configured to engage a dislodged staple wrapped around the cutting blade and cause the dislodged staple to move along the cutting blade away from the planar upper surface as the knife member is moved toward the parked position.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is transverse each of the pair of lateral surfaces.
6. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is non-parallel to the planar upper surface.
7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is at an angle ranging from 30-60° with respect to the planar upper surface.
8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the knife member is carried by a drive member.
9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein in the parked position the drive member is fully displaced within the distal garage.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pair of lateral surfaces diverge at an angle ranging from 25-45°.
11. A demountably attachable cartridge of a surgical instrument, the cartridge comprising:
a knife member having a cutting blade; and
a housing demountably attachable to an end effector of the surgical instrument, the housing including:
a planar upper surface having a plurality of staple openings extending through the planar upper surface;
a longitudinal slot accommodating movement of the knife member in a distal direction opposite to a proximal direction; and
a distal garage configured to accommodate the knife member in a parked position, the distal garage including a pair lateral surfaces between which an exposed portion of the cutting blade that protrudes beyond the planar upper surface when the knife member is in the parked position is disposed; the pair of lateral surfaces diverging in the proximal direction so as to provide a proximal-most gap sized to enable the knife member to apply significant bending forces to a staple that bridges the proximal-most gap as the staple is brought into contact with the proximal-most gap by the knife member.
12. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the pair of lateral surfaces at least partially define a notch in the distal garage sized to accommodate the exposed portion of the cutting blade and a dislodged staple wrapped around the exposed portion of the cutting blade when the knife member is in the parked position, the dislodges staple having a wire diameter of up to 0.25 mm.
13. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the knife member is moveable into the parked position via translation and rotation of the knife member such that a portion of the cutting blade displaces below the planar upper surface and the exposed portion of the cutting blade remains above the planar upper surface.
14. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the garage includes at least one staple ejecting surface configured to engage a dislodged staple wrapped around the cutting blade and cause the dislodged staple to move along the cutting blade away from the planar upper surface as the knife member is moved toward the parked position.
15. The cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is transverse each of the pair of lateral surfaces.
16. The cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is non-parallel to the planar upper surface.
17. The cartridge of claim 16 , wherein the at least one staple ejecting surface is at an angle ranging from 30-60° with respect to the planar upper surface.
18. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the knife member is carried by a drive member.
19. The cartridge of claim 18 , wherein in the parked position the drive member is fully displaced within the distal garage.
20. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the pair of lateral surfaces diverge at an angle ranging from 25-45°.