Surgical stapling instrument

Claim 2

A surgical stapling instrument (10) comprising: first and second structural members (12 and 14; 62 and 64) each being elongate in a first direction and each comprising a handle part (16 or 18) having first and second ends and a jaw part (20 or 22) projecting from said first end, said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) having pivot means (25) at said second ends adapted for free engagement and disengagement in a plane normal to said first directions for affording, when engaged, relative pivotal movement of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said plane between a closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) with said jaw parts (20, 22) in closely spaced relationship, and an open position (Fig. 2) with said jaw parts (20, 22) spaced farther from each other than in said closed position, said handle parts (16, 18) of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) defining a space (52) between said handle parts (16, 18) over the majority of the distance between said first and second ends when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); an elongate locking member (28) having first and second ends and a pivot point (29) closely adjacent the first end of the locking member (28), the pivot point (29) of said locking member (28) being mounted on said second structural member (14; 64) adjacent the first end of said second structural member (14; 64) for pivotal movement around an axis generally normal to said plane between a locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) generally aligned with the handle part (18) of said second structural member (14; 64), and a release position (Figs. 1 and 2) with the second end of said locking member (28) spaced from the second end of said second structural member (14; 64), said first end of said locking member (28) and said handle part (16) of said first structural member (12; 62) adjacent the first end of said first structural member (12; 62) having surfaces (28, 30 and 32) adapted, when said pivot means (25) are engaged with said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said open position (Fig. 2), for engagement during movement of said locking member (28) from said release position (Figs. 1 and 2) to said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) to forcefully move said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) to said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); and means (33, 34, 35, 36, 37) adapted for releasable engagement between said elongate locking member (28) and said second structural member (14; 64) for holding said locking member (28) in said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5); and said stapling instrument (10) having an anvil surface (40) along one of said jaw parts (22), a cartridge (41) including a plurality of staples (43) along the other of said jaw parts (20), and manually actuatable means (45) for sequentially pressing said staples (43) within said cartridge (41) against said anvil surface (40) to engage and close the staples (43) in tissues between said jaw parts (20, 22) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); the stapling instrument (10) being characterized in that one of said structural members (12; 62) is a support element (50; 60) in contact with the other of said structural members (14; 64) transverse of said space (52) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said support element (50; 60) being spaced between said ends of said handle parts (16, 18) to restrict bending and deflection of said handle parts (16, 18) toward each other in response to separating forces applied to said jaw parts (20, 22) by tissues compressed between said jaw parts (20, 22), thereby to restrict bending of the jaw parts (20, 22) away from each other in response to the separating forces applied to the jaw parts (20, 22) by compressed tissue.

Claim 3

A surgical stapling instrument (10) comprising: first and second structural members (12 and 14; 62 and 64) each being elongate in a first direction and each comprising a handle part (16 or 18) having first and second ends and a jaw part (20 or 22) projecting from said first end, said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) having pivot means (25) at said second ends adapted for free engagement and disengagement in a plane normal to said first directions for affording, when engaged, relative pivotal movement of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said plane between a closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) with said jaw parts (20, 22) in closely spaced relationship, and an open position (Fig. 2) with said jaw parts (20, 22) spaced farther from each other than in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said handle parts (16, 18) of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) defining a space (52) between said handle parts (16, 18) over the majority of the distance between said first and second ends when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); an elongate locking member (28) having first and second ends and a pivot point (29) closely adjacent the first end of the locking member (28), the pivot point (29) of said locking member (28) being mounted on said second structural member (14; 64) adjacent the first end of said second structural member (14; 64) for pivotal movement around an axis generally normal to said plane between a locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) generally aligned with the handle part (18) of said second structural member (14; 64), and a release position (Figs. 1 and 2) with the second end of said locking member (28) spaced from the second end of said second structural member (14; 64), said first end of said locking member (28) and said handle part (16) of said first structural member (12; 62) adjacent the first end of said first structural member (12; 62) having surfaces (28, 30 and 32) adapted, when said pivot means (25) are engaged with said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said open position (Figs. 1 and 2), for engagement during movement of said locking member (28) from said release position (Figs. 1 and 2) to said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) to forcefully move said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) to said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); and means (33, 34, 35, 36 and 37) adapted for releasable engagement between said elongate locking member (28) and said second structural member (14; 64) for releasably holding said locking member (28) in said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5); and said stapling instrument (10) being adapted to have a removable anvil (40) positioned along one of said jaw parts (22), and a cartridge assembly (42) including a cartridge (41) containing a plurality of staples (43) disposed in rows positioned along the other of the jaw parts (20) in opposition to the anvil (40), which cartridge assembly (42) further includes manually actuatable means (45) for sequentially ejecting the staples (43) from the cartridge (41) to press the staples (43) against the anvil (40) and engage and close the staples (43) in tissues between said jaw parts (20, 22) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5; the stapling instrument (10) being characterized in that one of said structural members (12, 62) is a support element (50; 60) in contact with the other of said structural members (14; 64) transverse of said space (52) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said support element (50, 60) being spaced between said ends of said handle parts (16, 18) to restrict bending and deflection of said handle parts (16, 18) toward each other in response to separating forces applied to said jaw parts (20, 22) by tissues compressed between said jaw parts (20, 22), thereby to restrict bending of the jaw parts (20, 22) away from each other in response to the separating forces.

Claim 4

A surgical stapling instrument (10) comprising: first and second structural members (12 and 14; 62 and 64) each being elongate in a first direction and each comprising a handle part (16 or 18) having first and second ends and a jaw part (20 or 22) projecting from said first end, said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) having pivot means (25) at said second ends adapted for free engagement and disengagement in a plane normal to said first directions for affording, when engaged, relative pivotal movement of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said plane between a closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) with said jaw parts (20, 22) in closely spaced relationship, and an open position (Fig. 2) with said jaw parts (20, 22) spaced farther from each other than in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said handle parts (16, 18) of said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5) defining a space (52) between said handle parts (16, 18) over the majority of the distance between said first and second ends when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); an elongate locking member (28) having first and second ends and a pivot point (29) closely adjacent the first end of the locking member (28), the pivot point (29) of said locking member (28) being mounted on said second structural member (14; 64) adjacent the first end of said second structural member (14; 64) for pivotal movement around an axis generally normal to said plane between a locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) generally aligned with the handle part (18) of said second structural member (14; 64), and a release position (Figs. 1 and 2) with the second end of said locking member (28) spaced from the second end of said second structural member (14; 64), said first end of said locking member (28) and said handle part (16) of said first structural member (12; 62) adjacent the first end of said first structural member (12; 62) having surfaces (28, 30 and 32) adapted, when said pivot means (25) are engaged with said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) in said open position (Figs. 1 and 2), for engagement during movement of said locking member (28) from said release position (Figs. 1 and 2) to said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5) to forcefully move said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) to said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5); and means (33, 34, 35, 36 and 37) adapted for releasable engagement between said elongate locking member (28) and said second structural member (14; 64) for releasably holding said locking member (28) in said locking position (Figs. 3 and 5); and said stapling instrument (10) being adapted to have a removable anvil (40) positioned along one of said jaw parts (22), and a cartridge assembly (42) including a cartridge (41) containing a plurality of staples (43) disposed in rows positioned along the other of the jaw parts (20) in opposition to the anvil (40), which cartridge assembly (42) further includes manually actuatable means (45) for sequentially ejecting the staples (43) from the cartridge (41) to press the staples (43) against the anvil (40) and engage and close the staples (43) in tissues between said jaw parts (20, 22) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5; the stapling instrument (10) being characterized in that one of said structural members (12, 62) is a support element (50; 60) in contact with the other of said structural members (14; 64) transverse of said space (52) when said structural members (12, 14; 62, 64) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said support element (50, 60) being spaced between said ends of said handle parts (16, 18) to restrict bending and deflection of said handle parts (16, 18) toward each other in response to separating forces applied to said jaw parts (20, 22) by tissues compressed between said jaw parts (20, 22), thereby to restrict bending of the jaw parts (20, 22) away from each other in response to the separating forces.

Claim 5

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that when said structural members (12, 14) are in said closed position (Figs. 3 and 5), said support element (50) contacts a planar surface (54) disposed at a right angle to said plane on the structural member (14) contacted by said structural element (50) (Figs. 2, 3 and 5).

Claim 6

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that said structural member (14) contacted by said support element (60) has surfaces defining a socket (66), and a distal end portion of said support element (60) engages said surfaces defining said socket (66) when said structural elements (62, 4) are in said closed position (Figs. 6 and 7).

Claim 7

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that said support element (50; 60) is spaced away from said first ends of said handle parts (16, 18) in the range of about one eighth to one half the distance between said first and second ends of said handle parts (16, 18).

Claim 8

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that said support element (50; 60) has a length of about 1/2 inch in said first direction.

Claim 9

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 6 further characterized in that said support element (50; 60) is spaced away from said first ends of said handle parts (16, 18) about one quarter the distance between said first and second ends of said handle parts (16, 18).

Claim 10

A surgical stapling instrument (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further characterizing in that the stapling instrument (10) includes manually engageable projections (56) along said handle parts (16, 18) having engagement surfaces disposed at right angles to said first direction and facing said jaw parts (20, 22) adapted to be engaged with the fingers of a users hand while the thumb of that hand is used to operate said manually actuatable means (45), and said support element (50, 60) is positioned between said manually engageable projections (56).