Surgical stapling instrument

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument ( 1 ) comprises a body portion ( 2, 3 ), a handle ( 4 ) and a staple fastening assembly ( 8 ). The staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) includes a curved cartridge ( 10 ), which comprises at least one curved open row of staples, and a curved anvil ( 22 ), which is adapted to cooperate with the cartridge ( 10 ) for forming the ends of the staples exiting from the cartridge ( 10 ). The staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) is adapted to allow unobstructed access towards the concave inner faces of the cartridge ( 10 ) and the anvil ( 22 ). The cartridge ( 10 ) can be moved towards the anvil ( 22 ) from a spaced position for positioning tissue therebetween to a closed position for clamping the tissue. Preferably, a knife is contained within the cartridge ( 10 ) and is positioned such that there is at least one row of staples on at least one side of the knife.

1 . A surgical stapling instrument comprising: 
 a frame having a body portion ( 2 ,  3 ) and a handle ( 4 ) extending from said body portion ( 2 ) in the proximal end region of said instrument ( 1 ),    a staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) in the distal end region of said instrument ( 1 ), said staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) including a curved cartridge ( 10 ), which comprises at least one curved open row ( 34 ,  35 ,  36 ) of staples ( 54 ,  55 ,  56 ), and, at the distal end of said instrument ( 1 ), a curved anvil ( 22 ), which is adapted to cooperate with said cartridge ( 10 ) for forming the ends of the staples ( 54 ,  55 ,  56 ) exiting from said cartridge ( 10 ),    the staple forming plane ( 26 ) of said anvil ( 22 ) being arranged transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) of said body portion ( 3 ) of said instrument ( 1 ),    said staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) being adapted to allow unobstructed access towards the concave inner faces ( 40 ,  41 ,  42 ) of said cartridge ( 10 ) and of said anvil ( 22 ),    a cartridge moving device ( 5 ,  12 ,  16 ,  18 ) adapted to move said cartridge ( 10 ) essentially in parallel relationship towards said anvil ( 22 ) from a spaced position for positioning tissue therebetween to a closed position for clamping the tissue, and    a staple driving device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) adapted to drive the staples ( 54 ,  55 ,  56 ) out of said cartridge ( 10 ) towards said anvil ( 22 ).    
     
     
         2 . Stapling instrument according to  claim 1 , characterized by 
 a knife ( 58 ), which is contained within said cartridge ( 10 ) and which is positioned such that there is at least one row ( 34 ,  35 ,  36 ) of staples ( 54 ,  55 ,  56 ) on at least one side of the knife ( 58 ), and    a knife actuating device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) adapted to move said knife ( 58 ) towards said anvil ( 22 ).    
     
     
         3 . Stapling instrument according to  claim 2 , characterized in that there is at least one row ( 34 ;  35 ,  36 ) of staples ( 54 ;  55 ,  56 ) on each side of said knife ( 58 ).  
     
     
         4 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that said cartridge ( 10 ) and said anvil ( 22 ) have a generally arc-like shape in the cross-sectional plane, the arc extending over an angle in the range 90° to 270°.  
     
     
         5 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterized in that said staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) includes a curved guide portion ( 18 ), wherein said cartridge ( 10 ) is mounted for movement between the distal end ( 19 ) of said guide portion ( 18 ) and said anvil ( 22 ).  
     
     
         6 . Stapling instrument according to  claim 5 , characterized in that said guide portion ( 18 ) and said anvil ( 22 ) are rigidly connected by means of at least one arm ( 20 ) extending from at least one end of said anvil ( 22 ) and generally running in parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of said body portion ( 3 ) of said instrument ( 1 ).  
     
     
         7 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  6 , characterized in that the distance between said cartridge ( 10 ) and said anvil ( 22 ) in the closed position is adjustable.  
     
     
         8 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  7 , characterized in that said staple driving device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) is adapted to simultaneously drive the staples ( 54 ,  55 ,  56 ) out of said cartridge ( 10 ) towards said anvil ( 22 ).  
     
     
         9 . Stapling instrument according to  claim 2  or  3  and to  claim 8 , characterized in that said knife actuating device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) is adapted to cause said knife ( 58 ) to protrude from said cartridge ( 10 ) after the staple points have been driven out of said cartridge ( 10 ).  
     
     
         10 . Stapling instrument according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said staple driving device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) and said knife actuating device ( 6 ,  52 ,  53 ) are mechanically coupled for operation via a common trigger ( 6 ).  
     
     
         11 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 2  to  10  in connection with  claim 2 , characterized in that said knife ( 58 ) is removable.  
     
     
         12 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  11 , characterized in that said cartridge moving device ( 5 ,  12 ,  16 ,  18 ) includes a trigger lever ( 5 ) for actuating the movement of said cartridge ( 10 ).  
     
     
         13 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  11 , characterized in that said cartridge moving device includes a threaded shaft coupled to a rotatable knob for actuating the movement of said cartridge.  
     
     
         14 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  13 , characterized in that said anvil ( 10 ) has an atraumatically shaped distal end region ( 24 ).  
     
     
         15 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  14 , characterized in that said staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) is removably mounted in the distal end region ( 9 ) of said body portion ( 2 ,  3 ).  
     
     
         16 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  15 , characterized in that said cartridge ( 10 ) is removable.  
     
     
         17 . Stapling instrument according to one of  claims 1  to  16 , characterized in that the radius of curvature is essentially infinite.  
     
     
         18 . Staple fastening assembly, characterized by the features of the staple fastening assembly ( 8 ) as defined in one of  claims 1  to  17 .  
     
     
         19 . Cartridge, which is adapted to the stapling instrument ( 1 ) according to  claim 16.