Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/4869414
Timestamp: 2019-08-18 00:34:37
Document Index: 319448497

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 210', 'art 290', 'art 210', 'arts 212', 'arts 214']

US Patent for Articulated surgical fastener applying apparatus Patent (Patent # 4,869,414 issued September 26, 1989) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents With Means To Assemble Plural Pieces Of WorkUS Patent for Articulated surgical fastener applying apparatus Patent (Patent # 4,869,414)
Feb 29, 1988 - United States Surgical Corporation
Fastener applying assembly 200 includes proximal fastener holding part 210 which is mounted on the distal end of shaft assembly 100 for rotation by hand about axis 112, the rotational axis of first articulation 110. It should be noted that axis 112 is transverse to the longitudinal axis 102 of shaft assembly 100. In particular, axis 112 is perpendicular to axis 102, although that is not necessarily the case. It should also be noted that axis 112 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of fastener holding part 210, although again that is not necessarily the case. Articulation 110 allows fastener applying assembly 200 to be moved to any rotational position about axis 112 within the limits indicated by the ends of double-headed arrow 114 in FIG. 1. In the depicted embodiment, fastener holding assembly 200 can be rotated approximately 90.degree. to either side of axis 102 (total rotation approximately 180.degree.).
Shaft assembly 100 also includes a second articulation 140, the components of which are best seen in FIGS. 16-20 and which is described in greater detail below. In general, articulation 140 allows the distal portion (including articulation 110) of shaft assembly 100 to be rotated by hand relative to the proximal portion of the shaft assembly about longitudinal axis 102. Thus, articulation 140 allows fastener applying assembly 200 to be moved to any rotational position about axis 102 within the limits indicated by the ends of double headed arrow 104 in FIGS. 1 and 20. Preferably, actuator assembly 200 can be rotated about axis 102 at least about 90.degree. in either direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 (total rotation at least about 180.degree.), more preferably approximately 150.degree. in either direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 (total rotation approximately 300.degree.).
Tube 160 is surrounded by another tubular structure including tube 170, collar 180, bushings 184 and 186, thrust ring 188, and locking ring 190. Tube 170 and locking ring 190 are rotatable relative to tube 160 Collar 180 is prevented from rotating relative to tube 160 by projection of collar keys 181 into tube keyways 166. Bushings 184 and 186 are made of a compressible material such as rubber. Thrust ring 188 is made of a relatively low friction material such as polytetrafluoroethylene to facilitate rotation of locking ring 190 relative to elements 180, 184, and 186. Tube 170 is constrained to rotate with stem 142 by virtue of the projection of stem keys 150 into keyways 172 near the distal end of tube 170. Arcuate toothed rack 174 adjacent the distal end of tube 170 engages toothed pinion segment 116 on fastener holding part 210. Elements 116 and 170 are concentric with axis 112. Proximal-facing teeth 176 on the proximal end of tube 170 engage distal-facing teeth 182 on collar 180. The end surfaces 178a and 178b of rack 174 respectively cooperate with the two side plates 218 of fastener holding part 210 to stop the pivoting of fastener applying assembly 200 about axis 112 when assembly 200 has been pivoted about 90.degree. to either side of axis 102. Accordingly, surfaces 178 and plates 218 cooperate to provide stop means for articulation 110.
In order to reach fingers 266, the distal end portion of cable 106 is redirected approximately 90.degree. by the distal end portion of stem 142 from an alignment in shaft assembly 100 parallel to axis 102 to an alignment in fastener holding part 210 parallel to axis 112 (see FIGS. 7 and 9-13). Accordingly, when clamp actuator 50 pulls cable 106 in the proximal direction, the distal end of cable 106 pulls cam plates 260 vertically down relative to fastener holding part 210 as shown progressively in FIGS. 9-12. The presence of pin 289 in slots 220 prevents frame 280 from moving downwardly with cam plates 260. Accordingly, cam followers 286 are constrained to move up along cam slots 264, thereby causing frame 280 to move in the proximal direction. Pin 289 moves with frame 280 in the proximal direction, traversing slots 220. Cam slots 264 are shaped to cause distal frame leg 284 to first pivot into parallelism with the distal face of fastener holding part 210, and to then translate proximally toward fastener holding part 210 so that at the end of the stroke of clamp actuator 50, the tissue 12 to be fastened is clamped between the distal face of fastener holding part 210 and the parallel proximal face of anvil part 290.
The distal end of fastener actuator cable 108 is attached to pusher actuator 248. As in the case of cable 106, the distal end portion of cable 108 is redirected approximately 90.degree. by the distal end portion of stem 142 from an alignment in shaft assembly 100 parallel to axis 102 to an alignment in fastener holding part 210 parallel to axis 112 in order to reach pusher actuator 248. When fastener actuator 70 is operated to pull cable 108 in the proximal direction, the distal end of cable 108 pulls down on pusher actuator 248. As pusher actuator 248 moves down, it is also forced to move in the distal direction by cooperation of elements 250 and 252 (see FIG. 12). The distal motion of pusher actuator 248 is imparted to pusher fingers 244 via pusher follower 246, thereby driving fastener parts 212 partly through tissue 12 and into interlocking engagement with retainer parts 214 to fasten the tissue.
Patent number: 4869414
Inventors: David T. Green (Norwalk, CT), Ernie Aranyi (Shelton, CT)
Application Number: 7/161,987
Current U.S. Class: With Means To Assemble Plural Pieces Of Work (227/19); 227/DIG1; Including Supply Magazine For Constantly Urged Members (227/120)