US-12622694-B2 - Surgical stapler with discretely positionable distal tip

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first jaw ( 16 ) and a second jaw ( 618, 718, 900 ) that cooperate to clamp and staple tissue ( 90 ). The second jaw includes a jaw body ( 620, 720, 902 ) and a distal tip ( 619, 719, 906 ) pivotable relative to the jaw body between a first discrete and a second discrete position. First and second openings ( 663, 784, 785, 932, 934 ) are both defined by one of the distal tip or a structure ( 621, 920 ) located proximal to the distal tip. A projection ( 637, 781, 918 ) is defined by the other of the distal tip or the structure. The projection is positionable within the first opening ( 663, 785, 932 ) to releasably retain the distal tip in the first discrete position, and within the second opening ( 663, 784, 934 ) to releasably retain the distal tip in the second discrete position.

Inventors

• Steven H. Nguyen
• Nicolo Garbin
• Megan M. Greenwood
• Benjamin N. Barnes
• Marcus P. Pantoja
• David J. Salisbury
• Weston S. Hirschfeld
• Pierre R. Mesnil
• Daniel V. Jones

Assignees

• CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230901

Claims (14)

1. 1 . An apparatus, comprising: (a) a first jaw; and (b) a second jaw configured to cooperate with the first jaw to clamp and staple tissue with a plurality of staples, wherein the second jaw includes: (i) a jaw body extending longitudinally along a jaw body axis, (ii) a distal tip movably disposed distal to the jaw body and extending longitudinally along a distal tip axis, wherein the distal tip is pivotable about a pivot axis that extends transversely to the jaw body axis between a first discrete position and a second discrete position, wherein in the first discrete position the distal tip axis assumes a first orientation relative to the jaw body axis, and in the second discrete position the distal tip axis assumes a second orientation relative to the jaw body axis, (iii) first and second openings both defined by one of the distal tip or a structure located proximal to the distal tip, wherein the first and second openings are arranged vertically and define respective longitudinal axes that intersect to define a proximally opening angle, and (iv) a projection defined by the other of the distal tip or the structure, wherein the projection is positionable within the first opening to releasably retain the distal tip in the first discrete position, wherein the projection is positionable within the second opening to releasably retain the distal tip in the second discrete position.
2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the distal tip is in the first discrete position the distal tip axis is substantially parallel to the jaw body axis, wherein when the distal tip is in the second discrete position the distal tip axis is angled relative to the jaw body axis.
3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal tip is constrained to a predefined range of angular motion having first and second end points defined by the first and second discrete positions, respectively.
4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the projection is defined by the distal tip.
5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second jaw further includes a resilient structure that defines the first and second openings, wherein the resilient structure is configured to resiliently deflect as the projection transitions between the first and second openings.
6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the resilient structure is longitudinally fixed relative to the jaw body and the distal tip.
7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first and second openings are interconnected.
8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the resilient structure comprises an insert housed within a channel in a distal end of the jaw body.
9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the jaw body comprises a metal and the insert comprises a polymer.
10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings are defined on a proximal end of the distal tip.
11. 11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second jaw further includes a latch that defines the projection and is actuatable relative to the jaw body by a user between a lock position in which the latch inhibits movement of the distal tip relative to the jaw body, and a release position in the which latch permits movement of the distal tip relative to the jaw body.
12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the latch is biased toward the lock position.
13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the latch is translatable relative to the jaw body between the lock position and the release position.
14. 14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw is configured to support a stapling assembly operable to deploy staples, wherein the second jaw comprises an anvil jaw having a plurality of staple forming pockets configured to form the staples.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/413,671, filed Oct. 6, 2022 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/467,656, filed May 19, 2023, the entirety of both of which are incorporated by reference herein and relied upon. BACKGROUND In some settings, endoscopic surgical instruments may be preferred over traditional open surgical devices to minimize the size of the surgical incision as well as post-operative recovery time and complications. Consequently, some endoscopic surgical instruments may be suitable for placement of a distal end effector at a desired surgical site through the cannula of a trocar. These distal end effectors may engage tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, stapler, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy delivery device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.). Endoscopic surgical instruments may include a shaft that extends proximally from the end effector to a handle portion, which is manipulated by the clinician, or alternatively to a robot. Such a shaft may enable insertion to a desired depth and rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, thereby facilitating positioning of the end effector within the patient. Positioning of an end effector may be further facilitated through inclusion of one or more articulation joints or features, enabling the end effector to be selectively articulated or otherwise deflected relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Examples of endoscopic surgical instruments include surgical staplers. Some such staplers are operable to clamp down on layers of tissue, cut through the clamped layers of tissue, and drive staples through the layers of tissue to substantially seal the severed layers of tissue together near the severed ends of the tissue layers. Such endoscopic surgical staplers may also be used in open procedures and/or other non-endoscopic procedures. By way of example only, a surgical stapler may be inserted through a thoracotomy and thereby between a patient's ribs to reach one or more organs in a thoracic surgical procedure that does not use a trocar as a conduit for the stapler. Such procedures may include the use of the stapler to sever and close a vessel leading to an organ, such as a lung. For instance, the vessels leading to an organ may be severed and closed by a stapler before removal of the organ from the thoracic cavity. Of course, surgical staplers may be used in various other settings and procedures. In some procedures, it may be necessary to fire (i.e., cut and/or staple) along tissue where more than one firing is necessary to complete the procedure. In other words, it may be necessary to perform multiple sequential firings along a continuous path, known as “marching.” With procedures that involve marching, a surgical stapler end effector may be placed at the surgical site, actuated to cut and staple, removed from the surgical site for installation of a new staple cartridge, and then placed back at the surgical site again for the next firing along the same path. In some such procedures, the clinician may have a need or desire to adjust the position of a distal tip of the end effector during the surgical procedure to better facilitate the manipulation of and firing on tissue. However, known surgical staplers have limited capabilities for such adjustment. The surgical stapling features of the present disclosure seek to enable a clinician to quickly and precisely adjust the position of a distal tip of a surgical stapler end effector during a surgical procedure. While various kinds of surgical staplers and associated components have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used the invention described in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an example of an articulating surgical stapling instrument; FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the instrument of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of an opened end effector of the instrument of FIG. 1; FIG. 4A depicts a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG. 3, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with the firing beam in a proximal position; FIG. 4B depicts a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG. 3, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with the firing beam in a distal position; FIG. 5 depicts an end cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG. 3, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3; FIG. 6 depicts an exploded perspective view of the end effec