Patent ID: 8631991

Claim:
A surgical instrument for fastening tissue with a staple that is deformable from an open configuration in which tissue is initially engaged by ends of the staple to a fastened configuration in which the ends of the staple are moved toward each other so the staple closes around the tissue thereby fastening the tissue, said instrument comprising: a cartridge adapted for containing the staple, said cartridge including a mechanism adapted to selectively advance the staple toward a forward end of the cartridge so the ends of the staple protrude from the cartridge and to selectively close the staple, the cartridge further including a housing having an exterior surface; a mount connected to the exterior surface of the housing of the cartridge and adapted for mounting the cartridge to an end of an endoscope laterally offset from a tip of the endoscope so tissue can be viewed through the endoscope when fastened wherein the cartridge includes a longitudinal axis which is offset from the longitudinal axis of the endoscope and substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the mount; a linkage connected to the cartridge for actuating the mechanism to advance and close the staple; and a remote actuator connected to the linkage a predetermined distance from the cartridge for actuating the mechanism from a position remote from the cartridge.