Surgical stapling instrument with locking feature to lock anvil actuator

US9717496B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ethicon, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Venkataramanan Mandakolathur Vasudevan · Cincinnati, US
• Edward G. Chekan · Cincinnati, US
• Kevin D. Felder · Cincinnati, US
• Jerome R. Morgan · Cincinnati, US
• Carl J. Shurtleff · Mason, US
• Johnny H. Alexander, III · Sharonville, US
• John F. Cummings · Madeira, US
• Christopher C. Miller · Loveland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 18, 2015
• Grant date: Aug 1, 2017
• Expiry date: Nov 18, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B17/1155
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument for performing a circular anastomosis comprises a stapling head assembly, an actuator handle assembly, a shaft assembly, a safety latch, and a locking member. The stapling head assembly includes an anvil that moves relative to a staple holder and a staple driver to drive staples from the staple holder into tissue and against the anvil. The actuator handle assembly has a first actuator that controls motion of the anvil and a second actuator that controls motion of the staple driver. The shaft assembly couples the stapling head assembly to the actuator handle assembly. The safety latch prevents operation of the second actuator when the gap between the anvil and staple holder is outside a predetermined range. The locking member is configured to prevent adjustment of the anvil gap after the desired staple height has been set inside the predetermined range.