Patent ID: 8469977

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a stapled tissue fold composed of opposed sections of tissue, comprising: (i) a first member having a tissue-contact surface wherein the first member includes a staple housing having a staple cartridge including at least one staple; (ii) a second member having a tissue-contact surface that confronts the tissue-contact surface of the first member; (iii) one or more hinge members coupling the first member and the second member for movement along an axis toward and away from one another, each of said hinge members having proximal and distal sections that are pivotally mounted on said first and second members, respectively, and pivotally joined together at a central hinge, such that movement of the two members toward one another causes the proximal and distal sections of each hinge member to pivot outwardly away from said axis, and (iv) a vacuum chamber defined by said hinge members and the confronting tissue-contact surfaces of the first and second members, and including a flexible membrane extending between the two members, covering said hinge member(s), and providing an opening through which tissue can be drawn into the chamber; such that application of the vacuum to said chamber is effective to draw a tissue fold into said chamber, through said membrane opening, and movement of the two members toward one another is effective (i) to enlarge the size of the chamber in the region between the two members, increasing the size of the tissue fold that can be drawn into the chamber upon application of a vacuum, and (ii) ultimately to capture the tissue fold between the confronting tissue-contact surfaces of said two members.