Patent ID: 7641092

Claim:
A linear surgical stapler adapted for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, the surgical stapler comprising: an anvil structure; a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical fasteners, the cartridge housing and anvil structure being relatively movable between a first spaced apart position and a second position in close approximation with one another; a firing mechanism associated with the cartridge housing for ejecting the surgical fasteners from the cartridge housing to be driven against the anvil structure; and a lockout mechanism interacting with the cartridge housing for selective activation and deactivation of the linear surgical stapler by blocking the firing mechanism; the lockout mechanism includes a swing gate tab pivotally secured to the cartridge housing such that firing of the linear surgical stapler by activation of the firing mechanism rotates the swing gate tab from a first position to a second position; the lockout mechanism also includes a lockout lever mounted to a supporting structure of the linear surgical stapler in which the cartridge housing is positioned for movement between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein the lockout lever blocks movement of the firing mechanism when in the locked position, the swing gate tab holds the lockout lever in the unlocked position when the swing gate tab is in the first position and releases the lockout lever for movement to the locked position when the swing gate tab is rotated to the second position; and wherein firing of the linear surgical stapler rotates the swing gate tab from the first position to the second position releasing the lockout lever for movement from the unlocked position to the locked position for preventing further firing by activation of the firing mechanism of the cartridge housing after use, by blocking further activation of the firing mechanism.