Patents by Inventor Kenneth H. Whitfield

Kenneth H. Whitfield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11918231
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly and a shaft assembly. The handle assembly includes a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly. The shaft assembly extends from the handle assembly and includes an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Csaba L. Rethy
  • Publication number: 20240058003
    Abstract: A surgical buttress loading system includes an anvil having a spring assembly biased against a tissue facing surface of an anvil body and a loading tool including a cavity configured to receive the anvil therein, a buttress cartridge including a surgical buttress releasably disposed thereon, an actuator, and a handle operably coupled to the buttress cartridge. When the anvil is positioned within the cavity of the loading tool and the handle is moved to from an unactuated position to an actuated position, the handle moves the actuator to from a retracted position to an extended position and into engagement with the spring assembly of the anvil to lift the spring assembly off of the tissue facing surface and then slides the buttress cartridge towards the spring assembly to move a proximal end portion of the surgical buttress between the spring assembly and the tissue facing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Publication number: 20230404576
    Abstract: A surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly having a drive assembly, an anvil, and a cartridge assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a replaceable staple cartridge that includes an actuation sled assembly having an actuation sled, a knife bar, and a retractor link. The retractor link is secured to the knife bar such that the actuation sled assembly is movable through a cartridge body of the staple cartridge. The retractor link is movable from a non-deformed condition disengaged from the drive assembly to a deformed condition engaged with the drive assembly to facilitate retraction of the actuation sled assembly after the stapling device is fired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Patent number: 11806017
    Abstract: A surgical buttress loading system includes an anvil having a spring assembly biased against a tissue facing surface of an anvil body and a loading tool including a cavity configured to receive the anvil therein, a buttress cartridge including a surgical buttress releasably disposed thereon, an actuator, and a handle operably coupled to the buttress cartridge. When the anvil is positioned within the cavity of the loading tool and the handle is moved to from an unactuated position to an actuated position, the handle moves the actuator to from a retracted position to an extended position and into engagement with the spring assembly of the anvil to lift the spring assembly off of the tissue facing surface and then slides the buttress cartridge towards the spring assembly to move a proximal end portion of the surgical buttress between the spring assembly and the tissue facing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Patent number: 11806021
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly; a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly; a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and being detachably connectable to the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement and remain connected to the housing of the shaft assembly and in a distally advanced position during an approximation of the jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Gregory Sorrentino, Kenneth H. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 11786247
    Abstract: A surgical stapler includes a body portion and a tool assembly. The body portion includes a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion extending distally from the large diameter portion. The large diameter portion supports larger internal components of the device including a lockout assembly adapted to prevent refiring of the stapler to allow the diameter of the small diameter portion of the device to be minimized to facilitate passage of the small diameter portion of the stapler and the tool assembly through an 8 mm trocar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Thomas Casasanta, Timothy D. Ebner, Anthony Gaddy
  • Patent number: 11666330
    Abstract: A tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly pivotally secured to the cartridge assembly and movable between open and clamped positions. The cartridge assembly includes a channel member, a staple cartridge supported in the channel member, and an actuation sled positioned within the staple cartridge. The actuation sled is movable from a first position to a second position to eject staples from the staple cartridge. The tool assembly further includes a drive assembly having a clamping member movable from an initial position to an advanced position to move the actuation sled from the first position to the second position, and a lockout member secured to the channel member and moveable between a relaxed condition and a flexed condition. Movement of the actuation sled from the first position towards the second position causes the lockout member to move to the flexed condition to permit advancement of the drive assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Publication number: 20230157691
    Abstract: A surgical buttress loading system includes an anvil having a spring assembly biased against a tissue facing surface of an anvil body and a loading tool including a cavity configured to receive the anvil therein, a buttress cartridge including a surgical buttress releasably disposed thereon, an actuator, and a handle operably coupled to the buttress cartridge. When the anvil is positioned within the cavity of the loading tool and the handle is moved to from an unactuated position to an actuated position, the handle moves the actuator to from a retracted position to an extended position and into engagement with the spring assembly of the anvil to lift the spring assembly off of the tissue facing surface and then slides the buttress cartridge towards the spring assembly to move a proximal end portion of the surgical buttress between the spring assembly and the tissue facing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Patent number: 11547407
    Abstract: A loading unit includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly, and an anvil hook assembly. The anvil assembly has an opening defined therethrough, and the anvil hook assembly includes an anvil hook disposed within the opening of the anvil assembly and a pivot pin extending through the anvil hook and the anvil assembly. The anvil hook is pivotable with respect to the anvil assembly about the pivot pin between a loading position and a loaded position. The loading unit may further include a surgical buttress assembly including a cartridge buttress releasably attached to the staple cartridge assembly, an anvil buttress releasably attachable to the anvil assembly by the anvil hook, and a connecting member interconnecting the cartridge and anvil buttresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Roanit Fernandes, Kenneth H. Whitfield
  • Publication number: 20220323072
    Abstract: A method of forming staples includes firing staples supported in a staple cartridge into an anvil operatively coupled to the staple cartridge. The method also involves forming the staples in biased staple-forming pockets defined in the anvil such that both legs of each formed staple are positioned on one side of a backspan of the respective staple. The one side of the backspan is positioned toward a longitudinal axis of the anvil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes, Anthony Gaddy
  • Publication number: 20220313250
    Abstract: A tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly pivotally secured to the cartridge assembly and movable between open and clamped positions. The cartridge assembly includes a channel member, a staple cartridge supported in the channel member, and an actuation sled positioned within the staple cartridge. The actuation sled is movable from a first position to a second position to eject staples from the staple cartridge. The tool assembly further includes a drive assembly having a clamping member movable from an initial position to an advanced position to move the actuation sled from the first position to the second position, and a lockout member secured to the channel member and moveable between a relaxed condition and a flexed condition. Movement of the actuation sled from the first position towards the second position causes the lockout member to move to the flexed condition to permit advancement of the drive assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes
  • Patent number: 11376000
    Abstract: An end effector for a surgical stapling apparatus includes a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly. The cartridge assembly supports staples. Each staple includes a backspan, a first leg, and a second leg. The first and second legs extend from the backspan. The anvil assembly is coupled to the cartridge assembly. The anvil assembly includes an anvil having opposed side surfaces. The anvil defines a knife slot and biased staple-forming pockets disposed between the opposed side surfaces of the anvil. Each biased staple-forming pocket is positioned to form the first and second legs of a respective staple on one side of the backspan of the respective staple. The one side of the backspan is positioned toward the knife slot of the anvil relative to the opposed side surfaces of the anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes, Anthony Gaddy
  • Patent number: 11337696
    Abstract: A surgical stapling device for sequentially applying a plurality of fasteners to body tissue and simultaneously incising tissue is provided. The surgical stapling device is adapted to receive disposable loading units having staples in linear rows whose length can be between about 30 mm and 60 mm. The disposable loading unit includes a proximal body portion, a mounting assembly and a tool assembly. The mounting assembly is secured to the proximal end of the tool assembly and pivotally mounted about a pivot axis to the distal end of the proximal body portion. A support member or blow-out plate assembly is positioned on opposite sides of the pivot axis and extends between the proximal body portion and the mounting assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Thomas Wenchell, Stanislaw Marczyk, Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roman Czernik, Henry E. Holsten, Frank C. Maffei
  • Publication number: 20220096091
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly and a shaft assembly. The handle assembly includes a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly. The shaft assembly extends from the handle assembly and includes an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Csaba L. Rethy
  • Publication number: 20220047261
    Abstract: A reload assembly of a surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly, a drive assembly that is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to actuate the tool assembly, and a lockout assembly including a lock member and a biasing member that prevents readvancement of the drive assembly. The lock member and the biasing member of the lockout assembly are configured to be securely fastened to each other using different structures and methods of securement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Jacob C. Baril, Kenneth H. Whitfield, Zalika Walcott
  • Publication number: 20220031332
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly; a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly; a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and being detachably connectable to the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement and remain connected to the housing of the shaft assembly and in a distally advanced position during an approximation of the jaws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Gregory Sorrentino, Kenneth H. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 11213298
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly; a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly; a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and being detachably connectable to the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement and remain connected to the housing of the shaft assembly and in a distally advanced position during an approximation of the jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Gregory Sorrentino, Kenneth H. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 11213299
    Abstract: An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly and a shaft assembly. The handle assembly includes a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly. The shaft assembly extends from the handle assembly and includes an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Whitfield, Csaba L. Rethy
  • Publication number: 20210386424
    Abstract: A surgical stapling apparatus includes a housing assembly and an elongated shaft assembly. The elongated shaft assembly is selectively attachable to the housing assembly. The elongated shaft assembly includes an adapter assembly and a loading unit. The adapter assembly extends distally to a distal tip housing. The distal tip housing supports an adapter electrical connector assembly therein. The loading unit is selectively attachable to the adapter assembly and extends distally to an end effector supporting one or more sensors therein. The loading unit supports a loading unit electrical connector assembly therein. The loading unit electrical connector assembly is positioned to contact the adapter electrical connector assembly when the adapter assembly and the loading unit are coupled together to electrically couple the one or more sensors to the housing assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Pawel Abramek, Kenneth H. Whitfield, Roanit A. Fernandes, Kenneth M. Cappola
  • Publication number: 20210290230
    Abstract: A loading unit includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly, and an anvil hook assembly. The anvil assembly has an opening defined therethrough, and the anvil hook assembly includes an anvil hook disposed within the opening of the anvil assembly and a pivot pin extending through the anvil hook and the anvil assembly. The anvil hook is pivotable with respect to the anvil assembly about the pivot pin between a loading position and a loaded position. The loading unit may further include a surgical buttress assembly including a cartridge buttress releasably attached to the staple cartridge assembly, an anvil buttress releasably attachable to the anvil assembly by the anvil hook, and a connecting member interconnecting the cartridge and anvil buttresses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Roanit Fernandes, Kenneth H. Whitfield