Patent GB-939313-A (GB)
Title: Instrument for stitching blood vessels
IPC: A61B17/115
Filed: 1959-10-30
Abstract: 939,313. Suturing devices. V. F. GOODOV, N. N. KAPITANOV, L. I. KUKUSHKIN, N. P. PETROVA, F. U. POLAKOV, A. A. STREKOPITOV, A. P. KAKABIAN, P. J. ANDROSOV, and M. G. AKHALAJA. Oct. 30, 1959, No. 36933/59. Class 81 (2). An instrument for suturing blood vessels with staples comprises an annular staple holder having slots which are externally closed in a radial direction, an annular staple anvil, a staple punch for driving staples out of the slots in the holder against the anvil, and means for varying the distance between the holder and the anvil. A clamp for the staple holder comprises a long bar 1 (Fig. 1) having a slotted projection 19 which pivotally receives a pin 20 on a shorter bar 1<SP>1</SP> (Fig. 7), clamping jaws 1a, 1a<SP>1</SP> being formed on the bars. The jaws are secured around the staple holder by a bolt 25 which fits a slot 25<SP>1</SP> and a hollow projection 1b on the bars 1 and 1<SP>1</SP>, respectively. Similar bars 2, 2<SP>1</SP> form a staple anvil clamp. Before each clamp is assembled, one bar 1, 2 of each clamp is connected with the other by pins 10, a bar 3 (Fig. 8) being disposed between them. The clamps are then assembled around the staple holder and anvil, respectively. The intermediate bar 3 has inclined faces 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d which engage inclined faces on the adjacent bar 2 of the anvil clamp and faces 80, 80<SP>1</SP> which engage faces on the adjacent bar 1 of the holder clamp, the interengaging faces providing a wedging action between the clamps to adjust the spacing, indicated on a scale 15, between the staple holder and the anvil when the intermediate bar 3 is displaced relative to the clamps by a screw 18. The annular staple holder and staple anvil are split to facilitate assembly around the cut ends of blood vessels. The holder comprises an outer split-ring 29 (Fig. 23) which is connected to a part 29<SP>1</SP> by internal radial webs 29<SP>11</SP> to define slots for staples. A staple punch 32<SP>1</SP> comprising fingers 32 axially slidable in the staple slots is actuated by a lever 37 which may be locked against movement. The anvil has recesses 42 for bending staples. The holder and anvil have flanges 43 over which cut ends of blood vessels are folded by a device comprising a rod 52 (Fig. 24) having a rubber centering tip 54 for inserting in a cut blood vessel end, the rod being slidable in a tube 55 having a rubber end 56 which abuts a rubber ring 44 mounted on the end of the rod. Projection of the tube 55 forces the cut blood vessel end over a flange 43 of the holder or anvil and forces the ring 44 over the folded cut blood vessel end. Removable haemostatic clamps for application to the blood vessels to be sutured are fitted on each side of the instrument the jaws 48, 49 (Fig. 20) of each clamp being urged together by compressible strip springs 50. Staples are transferred to the holder from a separate magazine which includes a drum 60 (Fig. 25) mounted on a rod 61, the drum having radial channels of U-shaped cross-section for staples and a lid 67. Staples are pushed by drivers 65 actuated by a rubber band 66 into spaces between longitudinal splines on the rod 61, the spaces being arranged so that they correspond to slots in the staple holder. Staples between the splines are ejected into the holder by projecting a sleeve 68 surrounding the rod 61 against a spring 69.