Abstract: A surgical stapling assembly including a resiliently mounted anvil member and a staple holding assembly containing a plurality of surgical staples and mounted relative to the anvil member for movement into substantially parallel spaced relation thereto to clamp tissue inserted between the anvil member and staple holding assembly for stapling. If the surgical stapling assembly is overloaded with tissue and clamped, the clamping force results in a displacement of the anvil member relative to the staple holding assembly in the general direction of the clamping force. The amount of displacement of the anvil member permitted by the resilient means is large enough to prevent excessive pressure on the tissue, but not so large that the anvil member is no longer sufficiently close to the staple holding assembly to perform its function of crimping the ends of the staples driven from the staple holding assembly.

Abstract: Surgical stapler apparatus of the type in which a surgical staple is formed around an anvil. The staple is driven by a longitudinally curved pusher which forms an arc of a circle and which is arcuately reciprocal in a similarly curved channel. The distal end portion of the curved channel is substantially tangent to the plane of the distal-most staple in a stack of staples, and the proximal end portion of the staple pusher is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stack to provide a very compact stapler configuration.

Abstract: A surgical fastener of plastic or plastic-like material includes initially separate fastener and retainer members. The fastener member has at least two parallel prongs, each of which fits into a respective one of at least two apertures in the retainer member. The prongs twist as they enter the apertures. Then the prongs return to their initial orientation in which they interlock with the retainer member to form a finished fastener. The fastener is applied by forcing the fastener member prongs through the tissue to be fastened with the aid of metal pins contiguous with each prong. The pins are automatically withdrawn from the tissue after the prongs interlock with the retainer member and before the fastened tissue is removed from the fastener applying apparatus.

Abstract: In a surgical stapling instrument in which tissue is stapled between the opposing legs of a U-shaped frame, the staple carrying assembly automatically engages the free ends of both legs of the frame to structurally reinforce the frame during operation of the instrument.

Abstract: Surgical stapler apparatus in which the actuator elements can be pivoted out of the actuator housing to facilitate cleaning of the apparatus between uses without disassembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: Surgical stapler apparatus for forming an array of surgical staples in body tissue includes an anvil member against which the staples are crimped and a staple holder pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the anvil member so that the staple holder tends to displace with any displacement of the anvil member during use to substantially reduce relative displacement of the anvil member and staple holder and thereby assure proper alignment of these two elements.

Abstract: Surgical stapling apparatus has a sequence of motion which is initiated manually and which is thereafter continued automatically by a pneumatic system contained within the apparatus. The pneumatic system uses relatively low pressure gas, and the apparatus has a mechanical linkage between the pneumatic system and the parts driven by the pneumatic system for matching the force available from the pneumatic system to the force required to drive the apparatus during the various portions of the motion sequence. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is ligating and dividing apparatus in which the motion sequence includes clamping tissue in the apparatus, advancing staple-like metal ligatures toward the clamped tissue, crimping the ligatures around the tissue to ligate the tissue, and cutting through the ligated tissue between the ligatures.

Abstract: An improved surgical device for applying a clip to a blood vessel or other body tissue, and including a novel clip stop for preventing rearward movement or displacement of the clip, is disclosed. The apparatus of the invention comprises an elongated plate-like or arm member that, in a preferred embodiment, includes means defining a pair of projections and a concave intermediate portion that prevents the rearward movement or displacement of the clip and which serves to cause the elongated plate or arm to be moved upwardly and out of the way upon the actuation of the clip applicator. The device of the invention is particularly suitable for use in combination with surgical clip applicators of the so-called magazine or cartridge type. A particularly advantageous and preferred embodiment includes a novel clip stop assembly of the invention in combination with the unique surgical applicator of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 843,063, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,920.

Abstract: A manually powered surgical stapling instrument for applying sterilized staples to the disunited skin or fascia of a patient for effecting a joining of the skin or fascia. The instrument is adapted to associate with a staple carrying cartridge having an anvil at one end thereof and adapted to house a plurality of staples therein. A pusher element slidably mounted in the cartridge is provided for advancing the staples in the cartridge, for ejecting the staples from the cartridge and for forming the staples around the anvil. The surgical stapling instrument comprises a main body portion adapted for mounting the staple carrying cartridge, a thrust bar mounted to reciprocate in the main body portion for driving the pusher element forward to advance, eject and form the staples, a handle arrangement for receiving a manually applied force, and a linkage arrangement for directly transmitting the manually applied force to the thrust bar to advance the thrust bar and thereby advance, eject and form the staples.

Abstract: Novel system for applying surgical clips consisting of an instrument and disposable cartridge that together create a forceps with the cartridge being quickly detachable from the instrument to permit easy and fast replacement during a surgical procedure. The instrument has ring handles as a forceps and they operate to reciprocate a driver. The cartridge includes clinching jaws and a clip magazine with the jaws quick detachably connected to the instrument in a fixed manner whereas an actuator for the jaws is quick detachably fixed to the reciprocal driver of the instrument. A number of surgical clips can quickly and successively be supplied to the clinching jaws of the cartridge.

Abstract: A cartridge is provided for applying staples to the disunited fascia of a patient. The cartridge is adapted to associate with a surgical stapling instrument which supplies rectilinear thrust to power the cartridge. The cartridge houses a plurality of staples mounted on a flexible belt. A pusher is slidably mounted in the cartridge for forming the staples around an anvil. A spring pawl associated with the pusher moves the staples into a position ready to be fired as the forwardmost staple is being formed around the anvil. As a staple is formed around the anvil, a spring associated with the cartridge cover holds the staple against the anvil. This spring also provides the function of ejecting the staple from the cartridge after it has been formed. On the return stroke of the pusher, a spring pawl arrangement associated with the cartridge cover prevents the belt and staples from moving rearward away from the anvil.