Patent ID: 11918214
Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A shipping wedge and staple cartridge assembly comprising:
a staple cartridge having a body defining a longitudinal axis, a central knife bar slot and a plurality of staple retention slots positioned on each side of the knife bar slot, each of the staple retention slots supporting a staple, the staple cartridge having a knife bar and an actuation sled, the actuation sled having an angled distal portion configured to eject the staples from the body of the staple cartridge, the knife bar being movable through the knife bar slot from a bar retracted position to a bar advanced position to advance the sled from a sled retracted position to a sled advanced position and eject staples from the staple cartridge, the body of the staple cartridge having a proximal portion defining at least one recess; and
a shipping wedge having a body including a top surface, a bottom surface extending along the longitudinal axis, a distal portion, a proximal portion, an elongate fin, at least one tooth, a knife stop, and a sled stop member, the elongate fin supported on the bottom surface of the body of the shipping wedge and configured and dimensioned to be received within the knife bar slot of the staple cartridge to secure the shipping wedge to the staple cartridge, the at least one tooth extending from the bottom surface of the proximal portion of the body of the shipping wedge and positioned outwardly of the elongate fin, the at least one tooth received within the at least one recess of the staple cartridge to prevent longitudinal movement of the shipping wedge in relation to the staple cartridge, the knife stop extending from the top surface of the proximal portion of the body of the shipping wedge and positioned to obstruct movement of the knife bar of the staple cartridge when the shipping wedge is attached to the staple cartridge, the sled stop member extending from the bottom surface of the proximal portion of the body of the shipping wedge and including an angled stop surface, the sled stop member positioned to obstruct advancement of the actuation sled, the angled stop surface defining an acute angle with the bottom surface of the shipping wedge selected to correspond to an angle defined by the angled distal portion of the actuation sled.