Surgical instrument

Claim 2

An instrument for implanting staples having integral head and leg portions into bone and like structures comprising an elongated body having portions thereof that are acutely angularly related, a handle on one end of one of said body portions and an operative portion on one end of the angularly related other body portion such that the handle and operative portions are positioned in spaced and opposed relationship, a groove formed in the operative portion on a side thereof that faces the handle portion, said groove being shaped to cooperatively engage the head portion of the staple.

Claim 3

The instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said operative instrument portion includes a surface formed about said groove, said surface being in opposed relationship to the handle portion such that pulling force applied to the handle portion acts through the elongated body in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to said surface.

Claim 4

The instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said groove has a first groove surface positioned to engage and support the head portion of a staple to be implanted.

Claim 5

The instrument defined in claim 3 wherein said groove has end wall portions adapted to engage the staple legs adjacent to the head portion thereof to retain and support a staple positioned in the groove.

Claim 6

The instrument defined in claim 4 wherein the groove end walls are spaced apart a distance such that they exert force against the leg portions of a staple positioned in the groove in a direction to maintain the staple in the groove during implantation thereof in bone structure.

Claim 7

Means for fastening portions of living body tissue to adjacent bone structure by forcing a U-shaped staple through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for use in forcing said staples through the living body tissue and into bone structure, said instrument including spaced handle and operator portions and means including an elongated instrument body having angularly related portions connected respectively at opposite ends thereof to said handle and operator portions to maintain said portions in fixed spaced relationship, said operator portion including an anvil member having a surface thereon in spaced opposed relationship and in substantial alignment with the handle portion, and an elongated groove formed in said anvil member adjacent to said surface, said groove being constructed to cooperatively engage and support a staple while the staple is being forced through the body tissue and into the bone structure by force applied on the handle portion in a direction away from but substantially in alignment with the operator portion of the instrument.

Claim 8

Means for fastening portions of living body tissue to adjacent bone structure by forcing a U-shaped staple through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for use in forcing said staples through the living body tissue and into bone structure, said instrument including spaced handle and operator portions and means including an elongated instrument body having angularly related portions connected respectively at opposite ends thereof to said handle and operator portions to maintain said portions in fixed spaced relationship, said operator portion including an anvil member having a surface thereon in spaced opposed relationship and in substantial alignment with the handle portion, and an elongated groove formed in said anvil member adjacent to said surface, said groove being constructed to cooperatively engage and support a staple while the staple is being forced through the body tissue and into the bone structure by force applied on the handle portion in a direction away from but substantially in alignment with the operator portion of the instrument.

Claim 9

The means defined in claim 6 wherein the groove in the operator portion of said instrument is defined by spaced side and end walls constructed to cooperatively engage the staple and to prevent relative movement between the instrument and the staple during the time when the staple is forced into the bone structure.

Claim 10

The means defined in claim 7 wherein the groove is constructed so that the staple must undergo stress to be moved to a fully seated position therein.

Claim 11

Means for fastening tissue to adjacent bone structure in a living body for forcing a staple of substantially U-shape including integral head and leg portions through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for installing the staple in a living body, said instrument having a first portion including means constructed to retain and support the staple during installation thereof, and a second portion spaced from and connected to the first portion and including a handle portion, and means connecting the handle portion to the first portion, said first portion including a member having a surface facing the handle portion and a groove formed in said surface, said groove being defined by opposed side and end walls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, said groove end walls being spaceD closer together than the unstressed staple leg portions adjacent to the head portion thereof so that the staple leg portions must be forced closer together than they are in their unstressed condition to install the head portion of the staple in the groove in a fully seated condition in which the head portion abuts the bottom wall of the groove.

Claim 12

Means for fastening tissue to adjacent bone structure in a living body for forcing a staple of substantially U-shape including integral head and leg portions through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for installing the staple in a living body, said instrument having a first portion including means constructed to retain and support the staple during installation thereof, and a second portion spaced from and connected to the first portion and including a handle portion, and means connecting the handle portion to the first portion, said first portion including a member having a surface facing the handle portion and a groove formed in said surface, said groove being defined by opposed side and end walls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, said groove end walls being spaceD closer together than the unstressed staple leg portions adjacent to the head portion thereof so that the staple leg portions must be forced closer together than they are in their unstressed condition to install the head portion of the staple in the groove in a fully seated condition in which the head portion abuts the bottom wall of the groove.

Claim 13

The means defined in claim 9 wherein said first instrument portion includes a second groove positioned adjacent the aforesaid groove, said second groove being shallower than the aforesaid groove so that it can be used to engage the head portion of a staple that has been partially pressed into bone structure during completion of the pressing in of the staple in the bone structure to the desired depth.

Claim 14

Means for use in female surgical procedures to staple tissue to adjacent bone structure to correct certain female disorders caused by insufficient or poor support of the urethra and bladder neck by providing support therefor, the means being used to force a staple member of generally U-shape through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for implanting said staple through body tissue into adjacent bone structure, said instrument having an operator portion, a handle portion, and means including an elongated member connecting the handle portion to the operator portion in spaced and opposed relationship to each other, said operator portion having a surface formed thereon in generally opposed spaced relationship to the handle portion, a slot formed extending inwardly from said surface for supporting a staple during implantation thereof, said slot being defined by a bottom wall and adjacent spaced end and sidewall portions, the bottom wall of said slot being generally parallel to the said surface and said side and end walls having portions oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface for engaging and supporting portions of a staple positioned therein, said surface being adapted to be moved into contact with an area of the body tissue which is being attached to the adjacent bone structure during implantation of a staple to limit the penetration of the staple into the bone structure when pressure is applied through the handle portion to the staple positioned in the slot.

Claim 15

Means for use in female surgical procedures to staple tissue to adjacent bone structure to correct certain female disorders caused by insufficient or poor support of the urethra and bladder neck by providing support therefor, the means being used to force a staple member of generally U-shape through the tissue and into the bone structure, said means comprising an instrument for implanting said staple through body tissue into adjacent bone structure, said instrument having an operator portion, a handle portion, and means including an elongated member connecting the handle portion to the operator portion in spaced and opposed relationship to each other, said operator portion having a surface formed thereon in generally opposed spaced relationship to the handle portion, a slot formed extending inwardly from said surface for supporting a staple during implantation thereof, said slot being defined by a bottom wall and adjacent spaced end and sidewall portions, the bottom wall of said slot being generally parallel to the said surface and said side and end walls having portions oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface for engaging and supporting portions of a staple positioned therein, said surface being adapted to be moved into contact with an area of the body tissue which is being attached to the adjacent bone structure during implantation of a staple to limit the penetration of the staple into the bone structure when pressure is applied through the handle portion to the staple positioned in the slot.

Claim 16

The means defined in claim 11 wherein the construction of the slot is such that the staple must undergo some stress and change in shape to be positioned therein.

Claim 17

The means defined in claim 11 wherein said slot is constructed to frictionally engage and support the staple.