The disclosure is directed to surgical stapling devices and, more particularly, to surgical stapling devices having actuation sleds that support knives.
Surgical stapling devices for simultaneously stapling and cutting tissue are well known in the art and include a tool assembly and a drive assembly. The tool assembly includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly that are movable in relation to each other between open and clamped positions. The cartridge assembly has a channel member and a staple cartridge that is received within the channel member and is replaceable to facilitate reuse of the stapling device. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body that supports staples, pushers, and an actuation sled. The drive assembly is positioned proximally of the actuation sled and is movable in relation to the anvil and cartridge assemblies to advance the actuation sled from its retracted position to its advanced position to eject the staples from the cartridge body. Typically, the actuation sled remains in its advanced position when the drive assembly is returned to its retracted position after firing of the stapling device.
In some stapling devices, a knife is supported on the actuation sled and is movable with the actuation sled through the cartridge body to cut tissue clamped between the anvil and cartridge assemblies. When the drive assembly is retracted and the actuation sled and the knife remain in a distal portion of the cartridge body, exposure of the knife can be a hazardous to medical personnel.
A continuing need exists for in the art for a staple cartridge that is configured to minimize any likelihood of injury to medical personnel during installation and/or replacement of the staple cartridge.
This disclosure is directed to a surgical stapling device that includes a tool assembly having an anvil assembly, and a cartridge assembly that has a channel member and a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, staples, pushers, and an actuation sled that supports a knife. The drive assembly has a working member that is movable through the tool assembly to advance the actuation sled through the staple cartridge to actuate the tool assembly. The actuation sled of the staple cartridge includes a guard to shield the knife to minimize any likelihood of injury to medical personnel during installation and replacement of the staple cartridge.
Aspects of this disclosure are directed to a surgical stapling device including an elongate body and a tool assembly. The elongate body has a proximal portion and a distal portion. The tool assembly is supported on the distal portion of the elongate body and includes a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly. The cartridge assembly has a channel member that defines a recess and a staple cartridge that is received within the recess. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, an actuation sled, pushers, and staples. The cartridge body defines a central knife slot and staple receiving pockets positioned on opposite side of the central knife slot. Each of the staple receiving pockets receives one of the pushers and one of the staples. The actuation sled includes a central portion, a cam member positioned on each side of the central portion, a vertical portion, and a knife guard. The vertical portion extends upwardly from the central portion and supports a knife. The knife guard extends distally from the vertical portion and is positioned above the knife such that the knife is confined between the central portion and the knife guard. The actuation sled is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to eject the staples from staple receiving slots of the cartridge body. The anvil assembly is coupled to the cartridge assembly to facilitate movement of the tool assembly between open and clamped positions. The drive assembly is positioned proximally of the actuation sled and is movable between a retracted position and an advanced position to move the actuation sled from its retracted position to its advanced position.
In aspects of the disclosure, the knife guard extends distally from the central portion of the actuation sled to a position above the cam members of the actuation sled.
In aspects of the disclosure, the actuation sled is of monolithic construction.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the knife guard and the vertical portion of the actuation sled are fixedly secured to the central portion of the actuation sled.
In certain aspects of the disclosure, the vertical portion of the actuation sled is positioned within the central knife slot of the cartridge body and extends above the cartridge body.
In aspects of the disclosure, the cartridge body includes protrusions, and the central portion of the actuation sled defines concavities that receive the protrusions when the actuation sled is in its retracted position to releasably retain the actuation sled in its retracted position.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the knife is secured to the vertical portion of the actuation sled by over molding.
In certain aspects of the disclosure, the stapling device includes a handle assembly that is secured to the proximal portion of the elongate body.
In aspects of the disclosure, the vertical portion of the actuation sled is secured to a proximal portion of the central portion of the actuation sled.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the drive assembly includes a flexible drive beam and a working member.
In certain aspects of the disclosure, the flexible drive beam has a proximal portion and a distal portion, and the working member is supported on the distal portion of the flexible drive beam.
In aspects of the disclosure, the working portion includes a first beam, a second beam, and a vertical strut connecting the first beam to the second beam.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the drive assembly is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to move the actuation sled from its retracted position to its advanced position.
In certain aspects of the disclosure, the anvil assembly defines a channel that extends longitudinally along the anvil assembly.
In aspects of the disclosure, the first beam is movable through channel of the anvil assembly as the drive assembly is moved from its retracted position to its advanced position.
Other aspects of the disclosure are directed to a staple cartridge including a cartridge body, an actuation sled, pushers, and staples. The cartridge body defines a central knife slot and staple receiving pockets that are positioned on opposite side of the central knife slot. Each of the staple receiving pockets receives one of the pushers and one of the staples. The actuation sled includes a central portion, a cam member positioned on each side of the central portion, a vertical portion, and a knife guard. The vertical portion extends upwardly from the central portion and supports a knife. The knife guard extends distally from the vertical portion and is positioned above the knife such that the knife is confined between the central portion and the knife guard. The actuation sled is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to eject the staples from staple receiving slots of the cartridge body.
Still other aspects of the disclosure are directed to an actuation sled including a central portion, a cam member positioned on each side of the central portion, a vertical portion, and a knife guard. The vertical portion extends upwardly from the central portion and supports a knife. The knife guard extends distally from the vertical portion and is positioned above the knife such that the knife is confined between the central portion and the knife guard. The actuation sled is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to eject the staples from staple receiving slots of the cartridge body.
Other features of the disclosure will be appreciated from the following description.
Various aspects of the disclosure are described herein below with reference to the drawings, wherein:
The disclosed surgical stapling device will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. However, it is to be understood that aspects of the disclosure are merely exemplary of the disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. Well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the disclosure in unnecessary detail. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
In this description, the term “proximal” is used generally to refer to that portion of the device that is closer to a clinician during use of the stapling device in its customary manner, while the term “distal” is used generally to refer to that portion of the device that is farther from the clinician during use of the stapling device in its customary manner. In addition, the term “clinician” is used generally to refer to medical personnel including doctors, nurses, and support personnel. Further, directional terms such as front, rear, upper, lower, top, bottom, and similar terms are used to assist in understanding the description and are not intended to limit the disclosure.
The disclosed surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly having an anvil assembly, a cartridge assembly, and a drive assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a channel member that defines a recess and a staple cartridge that is releasably received within the recess of the channel member. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, staples, pushers, and an actuation sled that supports a knife. The drive assembly has a working member that is movable through the tool assembly to advance the actuation sled through the staple cartridge to actuate the tool assembly. The actuation sled of the staple cartridge includes a knife guard to shield the knife and minimize any likelihood of injury to medical personnel during installation and replacement of the staple cartridge.
The anvil assembly 24 includes an anvil portion 30 and a cover portion 32 that is attached to the anvil portion 30 to define a channel 34 (
The staple cartridge 54 includes a cartridge body 60, an actuation sled 62, pushers 64, staples 66, and a base plate 68. The cartridge body 60 defines a central knife slot 70 and staple receiving pockets 72 and includes protrusions 74 (
The knife guard 88 extends distally from the vertical portion 86 of the actuation sled 62 over the knife 90 along a longitudinal axis of the tool assembly 16 to guard or shield the knife 90. In aspects of the disclosure, the knife guard 88 extends along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly 16. In aspects of the disclosure, the knife guard 88 extends distally from the proximal portion of the central portion 82 of the actuation sled 62 to a position above the cam surfaces 84 of the actuation sled 62 and is fixed in relation to the central portion 82 of the actuation sled 62 such that the knife 90 is positioned or confined between the central portion 86 of the actuation sled 62 and the knife guard 88. In some aspects of the disclosure, the actuation sled 62 is molded or formed as a monolithic structure. Alternately, the vertical portion 86 and/or the knife guard 88 of the actuation sled 62 can be secured to the body 80 of the actuation sled using a variety of securement techniques, e.g., over molding.
The working member 104 of the drive assembly 100 has an I-beam configuration and includes a first beam 108, a second beam 110, and a vertical strut 112 that connects the first beam 108 to the second beam 110. The working member 104 is positioned proximally of the actuation sled 62 (
Persons skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments. It is envisioned that the elements and features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the elements and features of another without departing from the scope of the disclosure. As well, one skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the disclosure based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims.