Surgical stapling device

Abstract

A surgical stapling device having a removable staple cartridge is disclosed. The cartridge includes a first opening in the staple-forming end of the housing member to allow access to the a staple and an aligned second opening to allow the lead staple to move therethrough. The staple cartridge also comprises a fixed blocking surface on the housing member and a traveling blocking surface on a feeder shoe. The traveling blocking surface is sized so that the feeder shoe moves relative to the fixed blocking surface while moving the staple. The feeder shoe is further shaped so that, when the trigger member is actuated when no staples remain in the staple cartridge, the staple former is not blocked by the feeder shoe.

1 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member;    an anvil member positioned with the body member; and    means for moving the staple former between an at-rest position and a staple-forming position.    
   
   
       2 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a staple cartridge removably positioned with the staple cartridge recess, wherein when the staple cartridge is removed from the staple cartridge recess, the anvil member remains positioned with the body member.  
   
   
       3 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a staple cartridge removably positioned with the staple cartridge recess, wherein when the staple cartridge is removed from the staple cartridge recess, the staple former remains positioned with the body member.  
   
   
       4 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 1 , wherein the anvil member having an anvil end.  
   
   
       5 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 1 , wherein the means for moving includes a trigger member.  
   
   
       6 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member;    a staple cartridge having a staple, the staple cartridge removably positioned with the staple cartridge recess; and    an anvil member positioned with the body member for transforming the staple from a pre-implantation configuration to a post-implantation configuration upon moving the staple former from an at-rest position to a staple-forming position.    
   
   
       7 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 6 , wherein the staple cartridge comprises: 
 a housing member having a staple-forming end; and    an opening adjacent the staple-forming end of the housing member to allow a portion of the staple former to move therethrough.    
   
   
       8 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 7 , further comprising a feeder shoe in the housing member, wherein when the feeder shoe engages the staple-forming end of the staple cartridge, the staple former will urge the feeder shoe away from the staple-forming end.  
   
   
       9 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member; and    a staple cartridge, comprising: 
 a housing member having a staple-forming end;  
 a staple movably positioned in the housing member;  
 a feeder shoe movably positioned in the housing member for urging the staple towards the staple-forming end.  
   
   
   
       10 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 9 , wherein the feeder shoe moves between an engaged position with the staple-forming end of the housing member and a position away from the staple-forming end of the housing member when pressure is exerted by the staple former upon the feeder shoe.  
   
   
       11 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member; and    a staple cartridge, comprising: 
 a housing member; and  
 means for removably positioning the staple cartridge with the staple cartridge recess.  
   
   
   
       12 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 11 , wherein the means for removably positioning the staple cartridge including a flexible arm extending from the housing member and moving between a memory position and a flexed position whereby a greater clearance is provided between the flexible arm and the housing member when the flexible arm is in the flexed position.  
   
   
       13 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 12 , wherein the housing member having a staple-forming end and the flexible arm is proximal to the staple-forming end of the housing member.  
   
   
       14 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member adapted to receive a staple cartridge;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member; and    a staple cartridge, comprising: 
 a housing member having a snap fit for removably positioning the staple cartridge with the body member.  
   
   
   
       15 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 14 , wherein the housing member is biased towards a memory position to engage the body member.  
   
   
       16 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member; and    a staple cartridge, comprising: 
 a housing member having a staple-forming end;  
 a feeder shoe movably positioned in the housing member and having a surface angled relative to the staple-forming end of the housing member;  
 a staple urged by the feeder shoe towards the staple-forming end; and  
 an opening adjacent the staple-forming end sized to allow the staple to move through the opening.  
   
   
   
       17 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 16 , wherein the feeder shoe moves between an engaged position with the staple-forming end of the housing member and a position away from the staple-forming end of the housing member when pressure is exerted upon the angled surface by the staple former.  
   
   
       18 . A surgical stapling device, comprising: 
 a body member having a staple cartridge recess;    a staple former movably positioned with the body member; and    a staple cartridge, comprising: 
 a housing member having a staple-forming end;  
 a staple movably positioned in the housing member; and  
 a feeder shoe movably positioned in the housing member for urging the staple towards the staple-forming end; and  
   an anvil member positioned with the body member for transforming the staple from a pre-implantation configuration to a post-implantation configuration upon moving the staple former from an at-rest position to a staple-forming position.    
   
   
       19 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 18 , wherein the housing member having a first opening adjacent the staple-forming end of the housing member to allow a portion of the staple former to move therethrough.  
   
   
       20 . The surgical stapling device of  claim 19 , wherein the housing member having a second opening adjacent the staple-forming end of the housing member to allow the staple to move through the second opening.