Surgical staples

Claim 2

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and a substantially round cross-section and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened portion, wherein at least a portion of said legs are bulged beyond the plane of said round cross-section.

Claim 3

A staple according to claim 1 wherein said legs are flat sided.

Claim 4

A staple according to claim 1 wherein said legs are bulged from 0.001" to 0.010" beyond the plane.

Claim 5

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened point, said staple being deformed in use into an open-sided substantially O-shaped configuration bended at two points along said elongated base portion, wherein said base portion has an inner side facing said legs and outer side opposed thereto and wherein said elongated base portion has flattened notched portions on the outside at the locus of the elongated base portion bends extending over the entire locus of the elongated base portion bends and spaced from each other and spaced from said transition portions.

Claim 6

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened point, said staple being deformed in use into an open-sided substantially O-shaped configuration bended at two points along said elongated base portion, wherein said base portion has an inner side facing said legs and outer side opposed thereto and wherein said elongated base portion has flattened notched portions on the outside at the locus of the elongated base portion bends extending over the entire locus of the elongated base portion bends and spaced from each other and spaced from said transition portions.

Claim 7

A surgical staple according to claim 4 wherein said notched portions are from 0.002" to 0.003" in depth.

Claim 8

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and a substantially round cross-section and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened portion, said staple being deformed in use into an open-sided substantially O-shaped configuration bended at two points along said elongated base portion, wherein said base portion has an inner side facing said legs and an outer side opposed to said legs and wherein said staple has at least one flattened, work hardened area from 0.005" to 0.010" deep along the surface of said staple.

Claim 9

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and a substantially round cross-section and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened portion, said staple being deformed in use into an open-sided substantially O-shaped configuration bended at two points along said elongated base portion, wherein said base portion has an inner side facing said legs and an outer side opposed to said legs and wherein said staple has at least one flattened, work hardened area from 0.005" to 0.010" deep along the surface of said staple.

Claim 10

A surgical staple according to claim 6 wherein said outer side of the base portion has three flattened, work hardened portions spaced from each other by two rounded portions at the locus of the elongated base portion bends.

Claim 11

A surgical staple according to claim 6 wherein the entire inside surface of said elongated base portion is flattened and work hardened.

Claim 12

A surgical staple according to claim 6 wherein said legs are flattened and work hardened.

Claim 13

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened portion, wherein said elongated base portion is indented in an amount from 0.020" to 0.050" deep to form two upstanding ears adjacent said transition portion separated by a lower ledge.

Claim 14

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened portion, wherein said elongated base portion is indented in an amount from 0.020" to 0.050" deep to form two upstanding ears adjacent said transition portion separated by a lower ledge.

Claim 15

A surgical staple according to claim 10 wherein said staple is deformed in use into an open-sided substantially O-shaped configuration bended at two points along said upstanding ears.

Claim 16

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened point, wherein said sharpened point is characterized by having greater than one facet and has a rounded or semi-circular configuration with a radial nose.

Claim 17

A surgical staple having a U-shaped configuration and an elongated base portion and two legs substantially perpendicular to said base portion connected thereto at one end by a transition portion and terminating at the other end in a sharpened point, wherein said sharpened point is characterized by having greater than one facet and has a rounded or semi-circular configuration with a radial nose.