Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
A surgical stapler apparatus (10) comprising a housing (13); a shaft (18) movably mounted in said housing for relative longitudinal movement therein, said shaft having a cam surface (25) at an intermediate location within said housing; an anvil (20) mounted on a distal end of said shaft; an annular knife (29) projecting axially from a distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular staple pusher (30) projecting axially from said end of said housing towards said anvil and radially outside said knife; annular means (32) for mounting on said housing in alignment with said pusher an annular stapling cartridge (33) having a plurality of staples, said means including a sleeve (36) slidably mounted on said housing for movement between an extended position and retracted position; means (19) for moving said shaft into said housing and said anvil towards said knife; and cam means (40) for securing said sleeve relative to said housing durig movement of said anvil to a predetermined point spaced from said knife, said cam means being positioned relative to said cam surface on said sleeve for movement relative to said housing in response to continued proximal movement of said anvil towards said knife from said point whereby said anvil pushes said annular means relative to said pusher to expel staples from a stapling cartridge thereon for stapling of tissue between said anvil and a cartridge on said annular means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
234 words
A surgical stapler apparatus (10) comprising a housing (13); a shaft (18) movably mounted in said housing for relative longitudinal movement therein, said shaft having a cam surface (25) at an intermediate location within said housing; an anvil (20) mounted on a distal end of said shaft; an annular knife (29) projecting axially from a distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular staple pusher (30) projecting axially from said end of said housing towards said anvil and radially outside said knife; annular means (32) for mounting on said housing in alignment with said pusher an annular stapling cartridge (33) having a plurality of staples, said means including a sleeve (36) slidably mounted on said housing for movement between an extended position and retracted position; means (19) for moving said shaft into said housing and said anvil towards said knife; and cam means (40) for securing said sleeve relative to said housing durig movement of said anvil to a predetermined point spaced from said knife, said cam means being positioned relative to said cam surface on said sleeve for movement relative to said housing in response to continued proximal movement of said anvil towards said knife from said point whereby said anvil pushes said annular means relative to said pusher to expel staples from a stapling cartridge thereon for stapling of tissue between said anvil and a cartridge on said annular means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
208 words
A flexible surgical stapler apparatus comprising a housing; a non-rotatable shaft slidably mounted in said housing; a flexible axially rigid tube abutting said housing; a cable within said tube and secured to said shaft for moving said shaft relative to said housing; an anvil mounted on a distal end of said shaft; an annular knife projecting from a distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular staple pusher projecting from said distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular stapling cartridge have a plurality of staples mounted in alignment with said pusher for stapling tissue disposed between said anvil and said cartridge; a mounting ring concentric to and about said pusher mounting said cartridge thereon, said ring being movable between an extended position and a retracted position; and means for securing said ring relative to said housing during movement of said anvil to a predetermined point spaced from said knife and for releasing said ring from securement with said housing in response to continued movement of said anvil towards said knife whereby said anvil pushes the tissue and said cartridge towards said pusher to expel said staples from said cartridge while pushing said staples through the tissue and against said anvil for clinching thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
208 words
A flexible surgical stapler apparatus comprising a housing; a non-rotatable shaft slidably mounted in said housing; a flexible axially rigid tube abutting said housing; a cable within said tube and secured to said shaft for moving said shaft relative to said housing; an anvil mounted on a distal end of said shaft; an annular knife projecting from a distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular staple pusher projecting from said distal end of said housing towards said anvil; an annular stapling cartridge have a plurality of staples mounted in alignment with said pusher for stapling tissue disposed between said anvil and said cartridge; a mounting ring concentric to and about said pusher mounting said cartridge thereon, said ring being movable between an extended position and a retracted position; and means for securing said ring relative to said housing during movement of said anvil to a predetermined point spaced from said knife and for releasing said ring from securement with said housing in response to continued movement of said anvil towards said knife whereby said anvil pushes the tissue and said cartridge towards said pusher to expel said staples from said cartridge while pushing said staples through the tissue and against said anvil for clinching thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2 wherein said cam surface is a conical annular surface and said cam means includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced balls mounted in said housing for radial movement during passage of said cam surface thereby.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said housing includes a pair of coaxial sections telescopically fitted into each other and which further includes a spring between one of said housing sections and said sleeve for biasing said sleeve into said extended portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the other of said housing sections includes a conical exterior surface and said sleeve has a conical interior surface for abutting said exterior surface in said extended position.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as set forth in any one of the preceding claims wherein said annular means includes a cartridge mounting ring secured to and extending from said sleeve concentrically about said pusher and said knife.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pusher is an annular ring having at least one annular row of fingers for pushing a row of staples from a cartridge mounted on said ring.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said pusher is an annular ring having at least one annular row of fingers for pushing a row of staples from a cartridge mounted on said annular means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as set forth in any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for moving said shaft is a flexible cable secured to a proximal end of said shaft.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as set forth in any one of the preceding claims which further comprises a releasable lock means for preventing proximal movement of said shaft past a certain point.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said lock means includes a pivotally mounted latch in said housing having a proximal end to abut said shaft, cam means for pivoting said latch from said shaft and a cable extending from said cam means for moving said cam means to release said latch.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as set forth in any one of the preceding claims which further comprises at least one groove in said shaft and at least one spline on said housing receiving said spline to secure said shaft against rotation in said housing.