Claims
- 1. A surgical stapler comprising:
- cam means having at least one cam surface;
- means for actuating said cam means for a longitudinal firing movement of said at least one cam surface;
- a staple cartridge having a plurality of staple drive members driven by the longitudinal movement of said at least one cam surface; and
- a plurality of surgical staples in said cartridge respectively associated with said drive members for being fired by the longitudinal movement of said at least one cam surface,
- said staple drive members including at least one first staple drive member and at least one second drive member, said first and second drive members being relatively movable and altematingly arranged in said longitudinal direction, each said first staple drive member being generally H-shaped and having a laterally spaced pair of staple driving surfaces respectively associated with a pair of said surgical staples and each said second staple drive member having a single staple driving surface associated with a respective one of said surgical staples and disposed laterally between said pair of staple driving surfaces of said first staple drive member so that said laterally spaced pair of driving surfaces of said first drive staple drive member and said single staple driving surface of said second staple drive member are arranged in three laterally spaced rows.
- 2. The surgical stapler of claim 1, further comprising:
- tongue and groove means for operatively associating each said first staple drive member with each said second staple drive member.
- 3. The surgical stapler of claim 1, further comprising:
- a flexible drive element having a continuous surface extending in said longitudinal direction for operative association with said staple drive members, said surface of said flexible drive element being associated with said cam means for being engaged by said at least one said cam surface so that said longitudinal movement of said at least one cam surface effects a serial pushing of said staple drive members for firing said surgical staples.
- 4. The surgical stapler of claim 3, wherein
- each said second staple drive member is integrally connected to said flexible drive element.
- 5. The surgical stapler of claim 4 wherein
- each said first staple drive member is releasably retained by said flexible drive element.
- 6. A cartridge for a surgical stapler wherein said stapler includes cam means having at least one cam surface, and further includes means for actuating said at least one cam surface, said cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge body;
- a plurality of staple drive members in said cartridge body driven by longitudinal movement of said at least one cam surface; and
- a plurality of surgical staples respectively associated with said drive members for being fired by the longitudinal movement of said cam surface,
- said staple drive members including at least one first staple drive member and at least one second staple drive member, said first and second drive members being relatively movable and alternatingly arranged in said longitudinal direction, each said first staple drive member having a laterally spaced pair of staple driving surfaces respectively associated with a pair of said surgical staples and each said second staple drive member having a single staple driving surface associated with a respective one of said surgical staples and disposed laterally between said pair of staple driving surfaces of said first staple drive member so that said laterally spaced pair of driving surfaces of said first drive staple drive member and said single staple driving surface of said second staple drive member are arranged in three laterally spaced rows.
- 7. The cartridge for a surgical stapler of claim 6, wherein
- said first staple drive member is generally H-shaped to define said laterally spaced pair of staple driving surfaces, and said second staple drive member is configured to be complementary to said H-shaped first staple drive member for positioning said single staple driving surface of said second staple drive member flanked by said laterally spaced pair of staple driving surfaces of said first staple drive member.
- 8. The cartridge for a surgical stapler of claim 7, further comprising:
- tongue and groove means for operatively associating said first staple drive member with said second staple drive member.
- 9. A cartridge for a surgical stapler of claim 6, further comprising:
- at least one flexible drive element having a continuous surface extending in said longitudinal direction for operative association with said staple drive members, said surface of said flexible drive element being associated with said cam means for being engaged by said at least one cam surface so that said longitudinal movement of said cam surface effects a serial pushing of said staple drive members for forming said surgical staples.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 08/360,460, filed Dec. 21, 1994, which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/058,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,334.
US Referenced Citations (21)
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
360460 |
Dec 1994 |
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Parent |
58325 |
May 1993 |
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