Patent ID: 11871927
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 46:
47. An end effector for use by a surgeon to staple an anatomical structure of a patient during a minimally invasive procedure, the end effector comprising:
(a) an anvil that includes a first end, a second end, and an anvil face positionable on a first outer side of the anatomical structure; the anvil further comprising a plurality of pocket rows, each pocket row comprising a plurality of staple pockets, wherein the plurality of pocket rows includes at least one pocket row whose plurality of staple pockets comprises a depth that differs from the depth of the plurality of staple pockets of at least one other pocket row;
(b) a cartridge housing a plurality of staples, the cartridge comprising a first end, a second end, and a cartridge face positionable on a second outer side of the anatomical structure, wherein the first end of the cartridge is coupled with the first end of the anvil and the second end of the cartridge is coupled with the second end of the anvil;
(c) a monolithic rigid link, the monolithic rigid link being inflexible and having a first end and a second end, and wherein, when the end effector is in both a first open position and a second closed position, the first end of the monolithic rigid link is movably and fixedly connected to the cartridge, and the second end of the rigid link is movably and fixedly connected to the anvil, wherein the monolithic rigid link includes a first portion offset and angled from a second portion, the monolithic rigid link further including a ramp surface;
(d) a blade, the blade comprising a cutting surface, wherein the blade is engageable with the anvil and the cartridge; and
(e) a buttress, the buttress being a planar section of material coupled with the anvil face or the cartridge face,
wherein the end effector has a distal end and a proximal end, and a distance between the distal end and the proximal end is fixed; and
wherein a staple configuration in which a staple of the plurality of staples is formed is based on the depth of a corresponding staple pocket.