Anvil for surgical staplers

Claim 2

An anvil assembly for use in apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: an elongated assembly comprising first, second, third and fourth walls. two of said walls being generally transverse respective to a remaining two of said walls and said walls each having a distal portion and a proximal portion and a length, the distal portion of said first wall including means for closing the surgical fasteners, and said second wall having opposite facing interior and exterior surfaces and at least one elongated indentation located a distance from said first wall, said elongated indentation having a length and extending lengthwise along one of said interior and exterior surfaces of said second wall.

Claim 3

The anvil assembly of claim 1, wherein the length of said elongated indentation is from about 85% to about 90% of tile length of the second wall.

Claim 4

The anvil assembly of claim 1, wherein said means for closing said surgical fasteners comprises a plurality of depressions arranged in at least two parallel rows.

Claim 5

The anvil assembly of claim 1, further including a lengthwise extending slot in said first wall for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 6

The anvil assembly of claim 1, further including abutment means to prevent flexing of a proximal portion of said anvil assembly.

Claim 7

The anvil assembly of claim 5, wherein said abutment means comprises a deflection preventing member projecting laterally from the proximal portion of said second wall and having an abutment surface.

Claim 8

The anvil assembly of claim 6, wherein said abutment surface is approximately flush with said first wall of the anvil assembly.

Claim 9

The anvil assembly of claim 7, wherein said anvil assembly is fabricated from stainless steel.

Claim 10

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holder means for carrying said plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil assembly; said anvil assembly comprising first, second, third and fourth walls, two of said walls being generally transverse respective to a remaining two of said walls, each wall having a distal portion and a proximal portion and a length, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, and said second wall having opposite facing interior and exterior surfaces and at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon a distance from said first wall along one of said interior and exterior surfaces.

Claim 11

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holder means for carrying said plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil assembly; said anvil assembly comprising first, second, third and fourth walls, two of said walls being generally transverse respective to a remaining two of said walls, each wall having a distal portion and a proximal portion and a length, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, and said second wall having opposite facing interior and exterior surfaces and at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon a distance from said first wall along one of said interior and exterior surfaces.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said surgical fasteners comprise generally U-shaped deformable staples and said fastener closing surface includes a plurality of indentations arranged in at least two parallel rows for crimping the staples.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, further including a lengthwise extending slot in said first wall of said anvil assembly for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said anvil assembly further includes abutment means to prevent flexing of said anvil assembly.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said abutment means comprises a deflection preventing member projecting laterally from the proximal portion of said second wall and having an abutment surface.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said abutment surface is approximately flush with said first wall of the anvil assembly.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said rows of fasteners are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and wherein said fasteners are sequentially driven from said fastener holder means in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus by a longitudinally moving cam bar.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said apparatus includes support means for supporting said fastener holding means, said support means including a side plate with a stop surface, and wherein said anvil member includes a projection having an abutment surface for contacting said stop surface and preventing bending of the anvil member.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said protrusion protrudes from said interior surface of the side wall of the apparatus.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said indentation is located a distance from said fastener closing surface.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said wall possesses an elongated convex portion on the interior surface of the anvil member wall.

Claim 28

An anvil for use in apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: an elongated member including at least one each of lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse respective planes and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including means for closing the surgical fasteners, and said second wall having an externally facing surface and at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon.

Claim 29

An anvil for use in apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: an elongated member including at least one each of lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse respective planes and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including means for closing the surgical fasteners, and said second wall having an externally facing surface and at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon.

Claim 30

The anvil of claim 23 wherein the length of said elongated indentation is at least about 85% of the length of the second wall.

Claim 31

The anvil of claim 24 wherein the length of said elongated indentation is from about 85% to about 90% of the length of said second wall.

Claim 32

The anvil of claim 23 wherein said elongated member has a longitudinally extending slot in said first wall for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 33

The anvil of claim 26 further including abutment means to prevent flexing of a proximal portion of said anvil, wherein said abutment means comprises a deflection preventing member projecting laterally from the proximal portion of said second wall and having an abutment surface.

Claim 34

The anvil of claim 27 wherein said abutment surface is approximately flush with said first wall of the anvil.

Claim 35

The anvil of claim 28 wherein said anvil is fabricated from stainless steel.

Claim 36

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holding means for carrying a plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil assembly; said anvil assembly having a length and lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse planes intersecting each other at a corner ridge and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, and said second wall having at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon, and said anvil assembly further including a longitudinally extending slot in said first wall of said anvil assembly for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 37

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holding means for carrying a plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil assembly; said anvil assembly having a length and lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse planes intersecting each other at a corner ridge and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, and said second wall having at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon, and said anvil assembly further including a longitudinally extending slot in said first wall of said anvil assembly for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 38

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holding means for carrying said plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil member; said anvil member having a length and at least one each of lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse planes intersecting each other at a corner ridge and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, said fastener closing surface defining a plane which is orthogonal to the plane defined by said second wall, and said second wall having at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon, wherein said anvil member further includes a deflection preventing member having an abutment surface projecting laterally from the proximal portion of said second wall to prevent flexing of the anvil member.

Claim 39

Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises: fastener holding means for carrying said plurality of surgical fasteners in at least two parallel rows; means responsive to user applied force and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus for driving said surgical fasteners from said fastener holder means into a fastener closing surface of an elongated anvil member; said anvil member having a length and at least one each of lengthwise extending first and second walls generally defining mutually transverse planes intersecting each other at a corner ridge and each having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion of said first wall including said fastener closing surface, said fastener closing surface defining a plane which is orthogonal to the plane defined by said second wall, and said second wall having at least one elongated indentation extending lengthwise thereon, wherein said anvil member further includes a deflection preventing member having an abutment surface projecting laterally from the proximal portion of said second wall to prevent flexing of the anvil member.

Claim 40

The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said abutment surface is approximately flush with said first wall of said anvil member.

Claim 43

The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said indentation extends along said exterior surface of said second wall.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said indentation is adapted for preventing bending of the anvil member.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said indentation is defined by a concave portion of the exterior surface of the second wall.

Claim 46

The apparatus of claim 33, further including a longitudinally extending slot in each of said clamping surfaces for permitting passage therethrough of a knife blade.

Claim 47

The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a third wall having a length and opposite facing interior and exterior surfaces extending lengthwise thereon, wherein said second wall and said third wall are in planes generally transverse to said first wall, and further comprising a second elongated indentation located a distance from said first wall and extending lengthwise along at least one of said interior and exterior surfaces of said third wall.

Claim 48

The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said elongated indentations are parallel and adapted to prevent flexing of said first elongate assembly during said clamping of tissue.