US3837555A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Powering instrument for stapling skin and fascia
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1972-09-22
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Granted: 1974-09-24
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Expires: 1992-09-22
Abstract
Abstract A disposable staple cartridge housing a plurality of staples on a flexible belt and adapted to inject and form the staples, singly, into the disunited skin or fascia of a patient. Downwardly projecting flanges on a staple pusher act directly on the forwardmost staple positioned between a pair of adjacent teeth in the flexible belt and move the staple, the belt and its contents, with each stroke of the pusher. The forwardmost staple, when acted upon by the pusher, advances, rides out of the plane of the flexible belt and into the plane of the pusher and is ejected and bent around an anvil assembly. On the return stroke of the pusher, the downwardly projecting flanges flex out of the plane of the next successive staple, moving over that staple, and then take a position in readiness for the following stapling operation. The cartridge is provided with means for preventing the retraction of the staple housing belt during the rearward stroke of the pusher. In a second embodiment of the disposable cartridge, a plurality of staples are advanced as described above, but the number of disposable elements are reduced. With this embodiment, an inventive adaptor serves to associate the cartridge with a powering instrument. Also disclosed is a novel and simplified gas activated powering unit which develops a rectilinear thrust for advancing and forming staples. In one embodiment of the instrument, the nose is rotatable to facilitate alignment of the cartridge with the incision to be sutured.
Inventors
- 👤 D Green
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 15:59
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/0682; A61B17/0684; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00544; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S222/00; Y10S222/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
286 words
A gas-powered driving unit for converting gas pressure into rectilinear motion, the unit comprising: an elongated casing unit; a gas inlet port at one end of said elongated casing for the introduction of pressurized gas into the body of said main casing; a first piston chamber continuous with said gas inlet port, of a diameter substantially larger than that of said gas inlet port, and extending along the length of said elongated casing unit; a piston-like valve seat slidably mounted in said first piston chamber, said valve seat having a bore therethrough for communicating said first piston chamber with the extremity of said valve seat remote from said gas inlet port; an abutment block positioned adjacent said piston-like valve seat, fixed with respect to said elongated casing unit and positioned on the side of said valve seat remote from said gas inlet port, said abutment block having a bore extending from one end thereof to the other, thereby defining uninterrupted communication between the end of the block remote from said gas inlet port and the bore in said valve seat; a seating piston mounted for reciprocation in a second piston chamber defined in said casing unit, and positioned intermediate said valve seat and said abutment block a driving piston mounted for reciprocation in a third piston chamber defined in said elongated casing unit, adjacent said abutment block and located on the side thereof remote from said gas inlet port; first biasing means for biasing said piston-like valve seat away from said abutment block and against said gas inlet port; second biasing means for biasing said seating piston away from said piston-like valve seat; and third biasing means for biasing said driving piston toward said abutment block.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
286 words
A gas-powered driving unit for converting gas pressure into rectilinear motion, the unit comprising: an elongated casing unit; a gas inlet port at one end of said elongated casing for the introduction of pressurized gas into the body of said main casing; a first piston chamber continuous with said gas inlet port, of a diameter substantially larger than that of said gas inlet port, and extending along the length of said elongated casing unit; a piston-like valve seat slidably mounted in said first piston chamber, said valve seat having a bore therethrough for communicating said first piston chamber with the extremity of said valve seat remote from said gas inlet port; an abutment block positioned adjacent said piston-like valve seat, fixed with respect to said elongated casing unit and positioned on the side of said valve seat remote from said gas inlet port, said abutment block having a bore extending from one end thereof to the other, thereby defining uninterrupted communication between the end of the block remote from said gas inlet port and the bore in said valve seat; a seating piston mounted for reciprocation in a second piston chamber defined in said casing unit, and positioned intermediate said valve seat and said abutment block a driving piston mounted for reciprocation in a third piston chamber defined in said elongated casing unit, adjacent said abutment block and located on the side thereof remote from said gas inlet port; first biasing means for biasing said piston-like valve seat away from said abutment block and against said gas inlet port; second biasing means for biasing said seating piston away from said piston-like valve seat; and third biasing means for biasing said driving piston toward said abutment block.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 1, and further comprising: trigger means for moving said piston-like valve seat away from said gas inlet port, thereby allowing the passage of pressurized gas from said inlet port into said first piston chamber and thereby initiating a drive stroke of said driving unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 2, wherein said seating piston is idle until after the initiation Of the driving stroke and after the pressure in the elongated casing unit have equalized; and wherein said seating piston then serves to abut against said valve seat and to drive said valve seat into communication with said gas inlet port, thereby sealing off the source of pressurized gas from said first piston chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The gas-powered driving unit set forth in claim 3, wherein said seating piston is driven toward said valve seat, after pressure equalization, by gas pressure and against the biasing force developed by said second biasing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 4, wherein the first biasing means is of sufficient strength to maintain the piston-like valve seat against the gas inlet port in opposition to the gas pressure developed in said gas inlet port, but is of strength insufficient to move the valve seat toward the gas inlet port in opposition to the gas pressure developed in said first piston chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The gas-powered driving unit described in claim 4, wherein said piston-like valve seat, after triggering of the driving unit and the equalization of pressures in the casing unit, is driven toward said gas inlet port by the combined combined forces exerted by said seating piston and said first biasing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 6, wherein said first and second biasing means take the form of coil springs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 2, wherein said trigger means is in the form of an impact device; wherein the operation of said impact device is mechanically initiated by an operator; and wherein said piston-like valve seat is moved off of said gas inlet port by an impact delivered by said impact device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 1, and further comprising a cartridge mount for associating a staple-housing cartridge with said driving unit, said cartridge mount attached to said elongated casing unit on the side adjacent said third piston chamber and remote from said gas inlet port.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 9, wherein said cartridge mount is defined by a stationary element rigidly attached to said elongated casing unit and a movable element rotatably attached to said stationary element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 10, wherein said movable element is adapted to rotate about an axis parallel to the longitudinal center line of said staple-housing cartridge as oriented when associated with said driving unit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 10, wherein said movable element is adapted to rigidly receive said staple-housing cartridge.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The gas-powered driving unit recited in claim 12, and further comprising drive means rigidly attached to said driving piston for associating with and driving said staple-housing cartridge, wherein said drive means and said staple-housing cartridge rotate as said movable element is rotated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
192 words
A surgical stapling instrument for applying sterilized staples to the disunited skin of a patient for effecting the joining of the skin, the instrument being adapted to accept a staple-housing cartridge and comprising: a main body portion defining abutment means; mounting means rotatably mounted to said main body portion at the forward end of said main body portion for releasably rigidly holding said staple-housing cartridge and associating same with said surgical stapling instrument; and driving means for delivering power from said instrument to said cartridge for ejecting staples from said cartridge and clinching same in the disunited skin of the patient, said driving means including an elongated shaft having a coupling element at the forward end and a piston at the rear end, said mounting means comprising a nose defining a threaded extension which fits inside said abutment means and nut means secured to said threaded extension to abut the rear face of said abutment means so that said mounting means is rotatably associated with said main body porTion in such a manner that said staple-housing cartridge rigidly associated with said mounting means can be rotated relative to said main body portion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
192 words
A surgical stapling instrument for applying sterilized staples to the disunited skin of a patient for effecting the joining of the skin, the instrument being adapted to accept a staple-housing cartridge and comprising: a main body portion defining abutment means; mounting means rotatably mounted to said main body portion at the forward end of said main body portion for releasably rigidly holding said staple-housing cartridge and associating same with said surgical stapling instrument; and driving means for delivering power from said instrument to said cartridge for ejecting staples from said cartridge and clinching same in the disunited skin of the patient, said driving means including an elongated shaft having a coupling element at the forward end and a piston at the rear end, said mounting means comprising a nose defining a threaded extension which fits inside said abutment means and nut means secured to said threaded extension to abut the rear face of said abutment means so that said mounting means is rotatably associated with said main body porTion in such a manner that said staple-housing cartridge rigidly associated with said mounting means can be rotated relative to said main body portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2801415A
Cited
US3618842A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-23 | 1978-03-25 | 1978-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-23 | 1982-03-25 | 1982-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-23 | 1986-03-25 | 1986-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |