Patent ID: 11896231
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 15:
16. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
(a) an anvil defining a plurality of staple forming pockets;
(b) a stapling head assembly configured to drive a plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil, wherein the stapling head assembly comprises:
(i) an annular deck member, wherein the annular deck member includes a plurality of staple openings,
(ii) a staple driver member, wherein the staple driver member is configured to drive the plurality of staples from the staple openings of the deck member against the staple forming pockets of the anvil, and
(iii) a body member fixedly secured to the annular deck member, wherein the staple driver member is slidably housed within the body member, wherein the body member includes a radially expandable collar having at least one latching feature; and

(c) a shaft assembly, comprising:
(i) a proximal sheath portion,
(ii) a distal sheath portion, and
(iii) at least one protrusion extending radially outwardly from the distal sheath portion, wherein the at least one protrusion includes at least one abutment surface configured to engage the at least one latching feature of the radially expandable collar for coupling the stapling head assembly to the shaft assembly.