Sealing means for endoscopic surgical anastomosis stapling instrument

Claim 1

A surgical stapling instrument for applying one or more surgical staples to tissue, comprising: a stapling head assembly including a staple holder for receiving one or more surgical staples, an anvil for clamping the tissue against said staple holder, and driver means for driving the staples from said staple holder; an actuator handle assembly for actuating said staple driver; a shaft assembly with a generally hollow interior and including a support shaft for mounting said stapling head assembly on said actuator handle assembly; a tension member contained within said support shaft for transmitting tension from said actuator handle assembly to said anvil to resist the forces exerted on said anvil when the staples are formed; a compression member contained within said support shaft for transmitting a compressive force from said actuator handle assembly to advance said staple driver to drive the staples from said staple holder into the tissue and to form the staples against said anvil; and containing an elastomeric sealing apparatus placed around said tension member and held in place by said compression member, said elastomeric sealing apparatus containing an attachment element, and said compression member containing an attachment element, such that the respective attachment elements on said elastomeric sealing apparatus and said compression members are matedly joined so as to hold said elastomeric sealing apparatus in place between said tension and compression members, such that compressed air is prevented from flowing between said tension and compression members.