EP0179623A2 — Surgical stapling instrument with jaw clamping me…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 133 words

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including staple carrying means adapted to receive a plurality of staples arranged in at least one row, and said other jaw member including anvil means adapted to form said staples, pusher means for driving the staples from said staple carrying means into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil means to produce at least one row of staples in the tissue, knife means for cutting the tissue gripped between said jaw members along a line adjacent to said row of staples, and jaw clamping means for applying clamping forces to said jaw members to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together during the formation of said staples.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 133 words

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including staple carrying means adapted to receive a plurality of staples arranged in at least one row, and said other jaw member including anvil means adapted to form said staples, pusher means for driving the staples from said staple carrying means into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil means to produce at least one row of staples in the tissue, knife means for cutting the tissue gripped between said jaw members along a line adjacent to said row of staples, and jaw clamping means for applying clamping forces to said jaw members to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together during the formation of said staples.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 70 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein said jaw clamping means comprises: means for latching said jaw members together at an intermediate position therealong adjacent to said staple carrying means and said anvil means, and means for urging said jaw members apart at a position remote from said latching means to resist the forces exerted on said staple carrying means and said anvil means when the staples are formed.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 54 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 2, wherein said means for urging said jaw members apart' comprises: cam means mounted on one of said jaw members and engageable with said other jaw member for moving said jaw members apart at said remote position to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 57 words

4, The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3, wherein said cam means comprises: a cam member pivotally mounted on one of said jaw members at a position remote from said latching means, said cam member being pivotable from a first inoperative position to a second operative position to move said jaw members apart at said remote position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 55 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 4, wherein: said cam member includes a first lower cam surface for engaging said other jaw member with said cam member disposed in its first inoperative position and a second higher cam surface for engaging said other jaw member with said cam member disposed in its second operative position.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 5, wherein: said cam member is operable by said pusher means to move from its inoperative position to its operative postion when said pusher means is actuated.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3, wherein: at least one of said jaw members is flexible to permit said one jaw member to bend away from said other jaw member at said remote position to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 35 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 3, wherein: said cam means is operable by said pusher means prior to the formation of said staples to urge said staple carrying means and said anvil means together.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 52 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 8, which includes: actuator means for initially actuating said pusher means while said knife means remains stationary to actuate said cam means and for subsequently actuating said pusher means and said knife means simultaneously to drive the staples into the tissue and to cut the tissue.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 32 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, which includes: spacer means mounted on one of said jaw members for maintaining a predetermined gap between said staple carrying means and said anvil means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 173 words

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including a staple cartridge mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, and said other jaw member including an'anvil mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to form said staples, a pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to said elongate jaw members, said assembly including pusher means for driving the staples from said staple cartridge into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil to produce a pair of 'laterally spaced staple rows in the tissue, and knife means for cutting the tissue gripped between said jaw members along a line between said staple rows, and jaw clamping means for urging said front portions of said jaw members together to clamp said staple cartridge and said anvil against the tissue gripped between said jaw members during the formation of said staples.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 173 words

A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: first and second cooperating elongate jaw members, one of said jaw members including a staple cartridge mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to receive at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows of staples, and said other jaw member including an'anvil mounted at a front portion of said jaw member and adapted to form said staples, a pusher bar and knife assembly slidable longitudinally relative to said elongate jaw members, said assembly including pusher means for driving the staples from said staple cartridge into tissue gripped between said jaw members and forming the staples against said anvil to produce a pair of 'laterally spaced staple rows in the tissue, and knife means for cutting the tissue gripped between said jaw members along a line between said staple rows, and jaw clamping means for urging said front portions of said jaw members together to clamp said staple cartridge and said anvil against the tissue gripped between said jaw members during the formation of said staples.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 80 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 11, wherein said jaw clamping means comprises: means for latching said jaw members together at an intermediate position therealong adjacent to said staple cartridge and said anvil, and means for urging the rear portions of said jaw members apart at a position remote from said latching means to urge said front portions of said jaw members together to resist the forces exerted on said staple cartridge and said anvil when the staples are formed.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 52 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 12, wherein said means for urging said jaw members apart comprises: cam means mounted on one of said jaw members and engageable with said other jaw member for moving said rear portions of said jaw members apart to urge . said staple cartridge.and said anvil together.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 30 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 11, which includes: spacer means mounted on one of said jaw members for maintaining a predetermined gap between said staple cartridge and said anvil.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 58 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 13, wherein: at least one of said jaw members is flexible to permit its rear portion to bend away from the rear portion of said other jaw member and its front portion to bend toward the' front portion of said other jaw member to urge said staple cartridge and said anvil together.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 66 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 13, wherein said cam means comprises: a cam member pivotally mounted on one of.said jaw members at a position remote from said latching means, said cam member being pivotable from a first inoperative position to a second operative position to move said rear portions of said jaw members apart and to urge said front portions of said jaw members together.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 55 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 16, wherein: said cam member includes a first lower cam surface for engaging said other jaw member with said cam member disposed in its first inoperative position and a second higher cam surface for engaging said other jaw member with said cam member disposed in its second operative position.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 17, wherein: said cam member is operable by said pusher means to move from its inoperative position to its operative postion when said pusher means is advanced.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 18, wherein: said cam member is operable by said pusher means to return from its operative position to its inoperative postion when said pusher means is retracted.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 91 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 16, wherein said pusher bar and knife assembly includes: a pusher block slidably mounted for longitudinal movement along one of said jaw members and provided with a pair of staple pusher bars adapted to slide into said staple cartridge to sequentially drive said staples into the tissue gripped between said jaw members, and a knife block slidably mounted for longitudinal movement along one of said jaw members and provided with a knife blade adapted to slide into said staple cartridge between said staple pusher bars.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 33 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 20, wherein: said cam member is operable by said pusher block prior to the formation of said staples to urge said staple cartridge and said anvil together.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 74 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 21, which includes: actuator means for initially advancing said pusher block toward said staple cartridge while said knife block remains stationary to actuate said cam member and to initially move said pusher bars into said staple cartridge and for subsequently advancing said knife block toward said staple cartridge upon engagement by said pusher block to move said pusher bars and said knife blade simultaneously into said staple cartridge.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 40 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 22, wherein: said knife block is adapted to slidably receive said pusher bars to permit said pusher block to initially slide relative to said knife block when said pusher block is advanced and retracted.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 33 words

The surgical stapling instrument of claim 23, wherein: said pusher bars are adapted to engage said' knife block as said pusher block is retracted to withdraw said knife blade from said staple cartridge.

Surgical stapling instrument with jaw clamping mechanism

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