Method and cartridge for ligating organic tubular structures

Claim 1

A cartridge adapted for removable insertion on a medical instrument and having the capability of confining an organic tubular structure in a closed area, causing the encirclement of the structure with a surgical staple, and causing the ligation of the structure with said surgical staple, the cartridge comprising: a first guide track assembly; a second guide track assembly movable relative to said first guide track assembly; said first and said second guide track assemblies being shaped and associated in such a manner as to define first and second positions; staple guide means extending along the length of said first and said second guide track assemblies for guiding the movement of and the bending of a surgical staple; curved anvil means on said first guide track assembly; said first and second guide track assemblies and said curved anvil means defining, when said first and said second guide track assemBlies are in their first position, an open housing; and said first and said second guide track assemblies and said curved anvil means defining, when said first and said second guide track assemblies are in their second position, a continuous U-shaped guide path; and pusher means adapted for movement along and in the plane of said guide path when said first and said second guide track assemblies are in their second position; wherein said pusher means has a curved face adjacent the curved face of said anvil means; wherein the curvature of said anvil means is less severe than the curvature of said pusher means; and wherein said first and said second guide track assemblies, said anvil means and said pusher means are shaped and associated so that when a U-shaped surgical staple is positioned in said guide track means with the arms thereof extending toward said anvil means, and when said staple is urged toward said anvil means by said pusher means, the arms of said staple are guided by said guide path until they contact one another and are bent into the shape of said rounded anvil means, the bridge of said staple remote from the contacting arms thereof is collapsed, and the staple is deformed between said anvil means and said pusher means into a C-shape sealing said organic tubular structure.

Claim 11

A method of surgically ligating an elongated organic structure of a patient by the use of a surgical staple, the method comprising the steps of; incising the patient to expose the elongated organic structure to be ligated; positioning a ligatiNg instrument in the region of said organic structure; freeing and inserting said organic structure in a closed housing of the ligating instrument defined by the walls of a U-shaped guide track and an opposing U-shaped surgical staple; closing the area wherein said organic structure is housed by moving said U-shaped surgical staple in said guide path; initially bending said U-shaped surgical staple, along said U-shaped guide path, until the extremities of the arms thereof contact one another; collapsing the bridge of said U-shaped staple until the collapsed staple takes a C-shape and ligates said organic structure; removing the ligating instrument from the region of said organic structure; and closing the incision made in the patient.

Claim 12

A method of surgically ligating an elongated organic structure of a patient by the use of a surgical staple, the method comprising the steps of; incising the patient to expose the elongated organic structure to be ligated; positioning a ligatiNg instrument in the region of said organic structure; freeing and inserting said organic structure in a closed housing of the ligating instrument defined by the walls of a U-shaped guide track and an opposing U-shaped surgical staple; closing the area wherein said organic structure is housed by moving said U-shaped surgical staple in said guide path; initially bending said U-shaped surgical staple, along said U-shaped guide path, until the extremities of the arms thereof contact one another; collapsing the bridge of said U-shaped staple until the collapsed staple takes a C-shape and ligates said organic structure; removing the ligating instrument from the region of said organic structure; and closing the incision made in the patient.