Patent ID: 7735704
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. Surgical stapling instrument comprising: a staple fastening assembly including a curved cartridge device, which comprises at least one curved open row of staples having a first end and a second end and having a concave side and a convex side, and, opposite to the cartridge device, a curved anvil, which has a staple forming face and is adapted to cooperate with the cartridge device for forming the ends of the staples exiting from the cartridge device a moving device adapted to move the anvil relatively with respect to the cartridge device, substantially in parallel relationship, from a spaced position for positioning tissue therebetween to a closed position for clamping the tissue, a staple driving device adapted to drive the staples out of the cartridge device towards the anvil a knife having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, which knife is contained in the cartridge device and is positioned on the concave side of at least one row of staples, the first side of the knife facing said row of staples a knife actuating device adapted to move the knife towards the anvil wherein the staple fastening assembly comprises a retaining pin adapted to move between the cartridge device and the anvil to align the cartridge device and the anvil, wherein the retaining pin is located on the second side of the knife in an intermediate region between, and spaced radially from the first end and the second end of the curved row of staples, so that said pin is radially spaced from the anvil and cartridge when said moving device is in said closed position, whereby said retaining pin will not contact tissue.