Staple cartridge with movable knife

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a surgical stapling device including a drive assembly and a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly with a staple cartridge. The surgical stapling device includes a cartridge assembly with a replaceable staple cartridge. The replaceable staple cartridge includes an actuation sled assembly including an actuation sled and a knife. The knife is supported on the actuation sled for linear movement between a lowered position and a raised position. The staple cartridge includes an actuation sled assembly having an actuation sled and a knife supported on the actuation sled for linear movement between the lowered position and the raised position. The drive assembly and the knife are configured to move the knife between the raised and lowered positions when the drive assembly moves from a retracted position toward an advanced position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 453,558, filed March 21, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present technology relates generally to surgical stapling devices, and more particularly to surgical stapling devices that include knife assemblies. [Background technology]

[0003] Surgical stapling devices configured for endoscopic use are commonly used during surgical procedures to minimize patient trauma and reduce patient recovery time. Typically, endoscopic surgical stapling devices include a tool assembly and a drive assembly movable relative to the tool assembly to actuate the tool assembly. The drive assembly includes a knife bar having a cutting blade for severing tissue. The tool assembly includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly, which are coupled to one another by a pivot member and are movable relative to one another between an open position and a clamping position in response to movement of the drive assembly from a retracted position to an advanced position. The cartridge assembly includes a staple cartridge including a cartridge body supporting staples and an actuation sled movable through the cartridge body in response to movement of the drive assembly from the retracted position and the advanced position to eject the staples from the cartridge body.

[0004] Some stapling devices include a staple cartridge that can be replaced after each firing of the surgical stapling device to facilitate reuse of the surgical stapling device. Other surgical stapling devices include a reloading assembly that includes a staple cartridge and a drive assembly that can be replaced after each firing of the surgical stapling device to facilitate reuse of the surgical stapling device. The use of a reloading assembly provides a new cutting blade for each firing of the surgical stapling device to maintain the quality of the cut. The use of a replaceable staple cartridge reduces the costs associated with a surgical procedure but generally requires the reuse of the cutting blade. Repeated use of the same cutting blade can dull the cutting blade and reduce the quality of the cut.

[0005] There is a continuing need for a surgical stapling device that can inexpensively provide a sharp cutting blade throughout multiple firings of the surgical stapling device. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a surgical stapling device including a drive assembly and a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly with a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge includes an actuation sled assembly having an actuation sled and a knife supported on the actuation sled for linear movement between lowered and raised positions. The drive assembly and knife are configured to move the knife between the raised and lowered positions when the drive assembly moves from a retracted position toward an advanced position.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a tool assembly for a surgical stapling device, including a drive assembly, an anvil, and a cartridge assembly. The drive assembly has an I-shaped working member including a first beam, a second beam, and a vertical post defining a cam slot connecting the first beam to the second beam. The drive assembly is movable between a drive retracted position and a drive advanced position. The cartridge assembly includes a channel defining a cavity, a flexible member, and a staple cartridge releasably received within the cavity of the channel. The flexible member is positioned between the staple cartridge and the channel to facilitate movement of the staple cartridge within the cavity between a cartridge-raised position and a cartridge-lowered position. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, staples, and an actuation sled assembly. The cartridge body defines a knife slot and staple-receiving pockets positioned on either side of the knife slot. Staples are received within the staple-receiving pockets of the cartridge body. The actuation sled assembly is movable within the cartridge body from a sled-retracted position to a sled-advance position and includes an actuation sled and a knife. The actuation sled has a base portion, a central body portion extending upward from the base portion, and cam members positioned on opposite sides of the central body portion. The central body portion of the actuation sled defines a linear guide channel defining an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly. The knife is supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and is movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The knife includes a first portion received in the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member. The cam member is received in a cam slot in a vertical post of a work member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive-retracted position toward the drive-advance position to move the knife from the lowered position to the raised position.

[0008] In an aspect of the disclosure, the knife supports a detent and the actuation sled includes an abutment that engages the detent when the knife is in the lowered position to retain the knife in the lowered position.

[0009] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the actuation sled includes a resilient arm with an abutment supported on the resilient arm to facilitate movement of the abutment from a first position to a second position, thereby enabling the knife to move between a lowered position and a raised position.

[0010] In certain aspects of the present disclosure, a central body portion of the actuation sled is movable through a knife slot in the cartridge body.

[0011] In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the staple cartridge further includes a staple guard fixedly mounted to the bottom of the cartridge body and having a bottom wall engaged with the base portion of the actuation sled.

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the bottom wall of the staple guard includes a resilient tab and a base portion of the actuation sled defines a recess, and the resilient tab of the staple guard is received within the recess of the actuation sled when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled-advance position to retain the actuation sled assembly in the sled-advance position.

[0013] In certain aspects of the present disclosure, the cam slot is configured to move the knife from the raised position to the lowered position when the drive assembly is moved from the drive forward position back to the drive retracted position.

[0014] In aspects of the present disclosure, the base portion of the actuation sled defines a proximal notch configured to receive a working member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position.

[0015] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the cam member of the knife is positioned over the notch when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled retracted position.

[0016] In certain aspects of the present disclosure, the vertical post of the working member includes a distal surface defining a recess, and the cutting blade is at least partially received within the recess during movement of the drive assembly from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position.

[0017] In an aspect of the disclosure, the knife includes a central portion defining a cavity, and the actuation sled includes spaced vertical walls received within the cavity in the central portion of the knife to restrict the knife to linear motion as the knife moves between the raised and lowered positions.

[0018] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the vertical support includes a first cam surface positioned on a first side of the cam slot and a second cam surface positioned on a second side of the cam slot, the first cam surface and the second cam surface configured to direct a cam member of the knife into the cam slot.

[0019] In certain aspects of the present disclosure, the first cam surface is positioned to engage the cam member when the staple cartridge is positioned in a cartridge-down position within the cavity of the channel, and the second cam surface is positioned to engage the cam member when the staple cartridge is positioned in a cartridge-up position within the cavity of the channel.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a surgical stapling device including a handle assembly, an elongated body, a drive assembly, and a tool assembly. The elongated body has a proximal portion coupled to the handle assembly and a distal portion. The drive assembly is at least partially received within the elongated body and includes a working member. The working member has an I-shape and includes a first beam, a second beam, and a vertical post defining a cam slot connecting the first beam with the second beam. The drive assembly is movable between a drive retracted position and a drive advanced position. The tool assembly is supported on a distal portion of the elongated body and defines a longitudinal axis. The tool assembly includes an anvil and a cartridge assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a channel defining a cavity and a staple cartridge releasably received within the cavity of the channel. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, staples, and an actuation sled assembly. The cartridge body defines a knife slot and staple receiving pockets positioned on either side of the knife slot. Staples are received in the staple receiving pockets of the cartridge body. The actuation sled assembly is movable within the staple body from a sled-retracted position to a sled-advance position to eject the staples from the cartridge body of the staple cartridge. The actuation sled assembly includes an actuation sled and a knife. The actuation sled has a base portion, a central body portion extending upward from the base portion, and cam members positioned on either side of the central body portion. The central body portion of the actuation sled defines a linear guide channel defining an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly. The knife is supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and is movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The knife includes a first portion received in the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member. The cam member is received in a cam slot in the vertical post of the work member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position to move the knife from the lowered position to the raised position.

[0021] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a staple cartridge including a cartridge body, a staple, and an actuation sled assembly, wherein the cartridge body defines a knife slot and staple-receiving pockets positioned on either side of the knife slot.

[0022] Staples are received in the staple-receiving pockets of the cartridge body, and the actuation sled assembly is movable within the cartridge body from a sled-retracted position to a sled-advance position to eject the staples from the cartridge body of the staple cartridge. The actuation sled assembly includes an actuation sled and a knife. The actuation sled has a base portion, a central body portion extending upwardly from the base portion, and cam members positioned on opposite sides of the central body portion. The central body portion of the actuation sled defines a linear guide channel having an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly. The knife is supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and is movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The knife includes a first portion received in the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member positioned on a proximal portion of the knife.

[0023] Other features of the present disclosure will be understood from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] Various aspects of the disclosed surgical stapling device are described herein below with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of a surgical stapling device according to aspects of the present disclosure, with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in an open position, which is a pre-fired position;

[0026] [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the staple cartridge of the cartridge assembly separated from the channel of the cartridge assembly;

[0027] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the staple cartridge of the tool assembly shown in FIG. 2;

[0028] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the actuation sled assembly of the staple cartridge shown in FIG. 3;

[0029] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the proximal end of the actuation sled assembly shown in FIG. 4 with the knife in a lowered position.

[0030] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the actuation sled assembly shown in FIG. 5.

[0031] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 6.

[0032] [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a knife of the actuation sled assembly shown in FIG. 6.

[0033] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 9-9 in FIG. 5.

[0034] [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the proximal end of the staple cartridge shown in FIG. 2;

[0035] [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the drive assembly of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1;

[0036] [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a proximal portion of the tool assembly and a distal portion of the elongate body of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1, with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in an unclamping, pre-fired position;

[0037] [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a proximal portion of the tool assembly and a distal portion of the elongate body of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1, with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in a pre-clamp, pre-fire position;

[0038] [Figure 14] FIG. 6 is a perspective view from the proximal end of the actuation sled assembly shown in FIG. 5 with the knife in a raised position.

[0039] [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 15-15 in FIG.

[0040] [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a proximal portion of the tool assembly and a distal portion of the elongate body of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1, with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in a pre-clamp, pre-fire position;

[0041] [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a proximal portion of the tool assembly and a distal portion of the elongate body of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in a clamp firing position and the drive assembly in an advanced position;

[0042] [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a distal portion of the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in a clamp firing position as the drive assembly begins to move back from the advanced position toward the retracted position;

[0043] [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a proximal portion of the tool assembly and a distal portion of the elongate body of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1 with the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device in a clamp firing position and the drive assembly in a retracted position;

[0044] [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an alternative version of the tool assembly of the surgical stapling device shown in FIG. 1;

[0045] [Figure 21] 21 is an exploded side perspective view of an alternative version of the drive assembly of the stapling device shown in FIG. 1 and an actuation sled assembly of the tool assembly shown in FIG. 20; FIG.

[0046] [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view through the proximal portion of the tool assembly shown in FIG. 20 and the distal portion of the drive assembly shown in FIG. 21 with the tool assembly in a clamped position and the staple cartridge in a raised position within the channel of the cartridge assembly of the tool assembly.

[0047] [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 23-23 in FIG. 22.

[0048] [Figure 24] 22 is a cross-sectional view through the proximal portion of the tool assembly shown in FIG. 20 and the distal portion of the drive assembly shown in FIG. 21 with the tool assembly in a clamped position and the staple cartridge in a lowered position within a channel of the cartridge assembly of the tool assembly.

[0049] [Figure 25] 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 25-25 in FIG. 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] The disclosed surgical stapling device will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. However, it should be understood that the presently disclosed aspects of the surgical stapling device are merely exemplary of the present disclosure, which may be embodied in various forms. To avoid obscuring the present disclosure with unnecessary detail, well-known functions or configurations have not been described in detail. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in substantially any appropriately detailed structure.

[0051] In this description, the term "proximal" is generally used to refer to the portion of the device that is closer to the clinician when using the device in a normal manner, and the term "distal" is generally used to refer to the portion of the device that is farther from the clinician when using the device in a normal manner. Additionally, directional terms such as anterior, posterior, superior, inferior, top, bottom, and similar terms are used to aid in understanding this specification and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, the term "clinician" is generally used to refer to medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, surgeons, and support personnel.

[0052] The present disclosure is directed to a surgical stapling device including a drive assembly and a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly with a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge has an actuation sled assembly including an actuation sled and a knife supported on the actuation sled for linear movement between lowered and raised positions. The drive assembly and knife are configured to move the knife between the raised and lowered positions when the drive assembly moves from a retracted position toward an advanced position.

[0053] 1 and 2 illustrate a surgical stapling device, generally designated as stapling device 10, including a handle assembly 12, an adapter assembly 14, and a tool assembly 16. Handle assembly 12 is powered and includes a stationary hand grip 18 and one or more actuator buttons 19. Actuation button 19 is operable to actuate various functions of tool assembly 16, namely, approximating tool assembly 16, and stapling and cutting tissue, via adapter assembly 14. In certain aspects of the present disclosure, handle assembly 12 supports a battery (not shown) that provides power to handle assembly 12 for operating stapling device 10. While stapling device 10 is illustrated as a powered stapling device, it is envisioned that the benefits of the present disclosure are suitable for use in manual surgical stapling devices and robotically controlled stapling devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 describes stapling devices, including exemplary aspects of a manually powered stapling device.

[0054] The adapter assembly 14 defines a longitudinal axis "X" and includes a proximal portion 14a and a distal portion 14b. The proximal portion 14a of the adapter assembly 14 is coupled to the handle assembly 12, and the distal portion 14b of the adapter assembly 14 supports a tool assembly 16. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 16 is pivotally coupled to the adapter assembly distal portion 14b to facilitate articulation of the tool assembly 16 relative to the adapter assembly 14.

[0055] Tool assembly 16 includes an anvil 20 and a cartridge assembly 22. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, cartridge assembly 22 is pivotally supported relative to anvil 20 to facilitate movement of tool assembly 16 between an unclamped position (FIG. 1) and a clamped position (FIG. 13).

[0056] 2 illustrates cartridge assembly 22, which includes channel member 26 and staple cartridge 28. Channel member 26 includes side walls 30 and a bottom wall 32 that define a cavity 34. Staple cartridge 28 is removably received within cavity 34 of channel member 26 and is replaceable to facilitate reuse of stapling device 10. Each of side walls 30 of channel member 26 has an upper end that defines a recess 36.

[0057] 3 illustrates a staple cartridge 28 including a cartridge body 38, an actuation sled 40, staples 42, a pusher 44, and a staple guard 46. The cartridge body 38 defines a knife slot 48 and staple-receiving pockets 50 positioned on each side of the knife slot 48. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the staple-receiving pockets 50 are aligned in two or more rows on either side of the knife slot 48. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the knife slot 48 is centrally located in the cartridge body 38. However, it is envisioned that the knife slot 48 may be offset from the central axis of the cartridge body 38.

[0058] The cartridge body 38 includes laterally extending protrusions 51 (only one shown) that are received within the recesses 36 ( FIG. 2 ) of the channel member 26 to properly position the staple cartridge 28 within the cavity 34 of the channel member 26. The staples 42 and pushers 44 are received within staple-receiving pockets 50 of the cartridge body 38, and a staple guard 46 is fixedly mounted to the bottom of the cartridge body 38 to retain the staples 42 and pushers 44 within the cartridge body 38. The actuation sled assembly 40 is movable through the cartridge body 38 from a retracted position to an advanced position and includes an actuation sled 52 having angled inner and outer cam members 54 a, 54 b. The cam members 54 a, 54 b have angled cam surfaces 55 positioned to sequentially engage the pushers 44 as the actuation sled 52 moves through the cartridge body 38 to lift the pushers 44 within the staple-receiving pockets 50 and eject the staples 42 from the cartridge body 38.

[0059] 4-9 illustrate actuation sled assembly 40, which includes actuation sled 52 and knife 56. Actuation sled 52 includes cam members 54a, 54b, a central body portion 58, and fins 59. Cam members 54a, 54b are positioned on opposite sides of central body portion 58, and each of fins 59 is longitudinally aligned and positioned proximal to one of inner cam members 54a.

[0060] Actuation sled 52 includes a base portion 61 supported on bottom wall 46a of staple guard 46 and defining cutout 61a (FIG. 5). Central body portion 58 and cam members 54a, 54b extend upwardly from base portion 61 of actuation sled 52, with central body portion 58 positioned between inner cam members 54a. Central body portion 58 is received within knife slot 48 of cartridge body 38 as actuation sled assembly 40 moves within cartridge body 38 from a retracted position toward an advanced position. Central body portion 58 defines a guide channel 60 (FIG. 6) and includes a lip 62 extending partially over guide channel 60. Central body portion 58 also includes a resilient arm 66 supporting an abutment 68. In this embodiment of the disclosure, resilient arm 66 is integrally formed with central body portion 58 and supported on central body portion 58 in a cantilevered manner to facilitate inward and outward movement of abutment 68. In this aspect of the disclosure, central body portion 58 is positioned proximal to guide channel 60 and includes spaced apart vertical walls 70 that are spaced apart to define recesses 72. Resilient arms 66 are received within recesses 72 and are movable between a first position extending from recesses 72 and a second position positioned within recesses 72.

[0061] Knife 56 includes a body 76 having a proximal portion 78, a distal portion 80, and a central portion 82. Distal portion 80 of knife 56 is received within guide channel 60 of actuation sled 52 and includes a distal flange 84 that is engaged by lip 62 of central body portion 58 of actuation sled 52 to retain distal portion 80 of knife 56 within guide channel 60. Guide channel 60 of actuation sled 52 and distal portion 80 of knife 56 are configured and dimensioned to facilitate vertical movement of knife 56 relative to actuation sled 52 between lowered and raised positions, as described in further detail below.

[0062] The proximal portion 78 of the knife 56 includes a cutting blade 88 and a cam member 90. The cutting blade 88 forms the upper portion of the proximal portion 78 of the knife 56 and includes a distally-facing cutting edge 92. The cam member 90 is positioned on the lower portion of the proximal portion 78 of the knife 56 and includes an elongated, angled protrusion 94. It is envisioned that the protrusion 94 of the cam member 90 may have a variety of configurations, including a circular configuration. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the proximal portion 78 is supported on the central portion 82 of the knife 56 in a cantilevered manner. The proximal portion 78 of the knife 56 defines a cavity 96 positioned between the cutting blade 88 and the cam member 90.

[0063] The central portion 82 of the knife 56 extends between a proximal wall 100 ( FIG. 8 ) of the distal portion 80 of the knife 56 and a distal wall 102 of the proximal portion 78 of the knife 56. The proximal wall 100, the distal wall 102, and the central portion 82 define a cavity 104 that receives the spaced apart vertical walls 70 of the actuation sled 52 when the distal portion 80 of the knife 56 is received within the guide channel 60 of the actuation sled 52. When the spaced apart vertical walls 70 of the actuation sled 52 are received within the cavity 104 of the knife 56, the distal wall 102 of the proximal portion 78 of the knife 56 slidingly engages a distal surface of one of the vertical walls 70 of the actuation sled 52, and the proximal wall 100 ( FIG. 8 ) of the distal portion 80 of the knife 56 slidingly engages a proximal surface of the other of the vertical walls 70 of the actuation sled 52. The central portion 82 of the knife 56 includes a detent 108 that projects into the cavity 104 of the knife 56 .

[0064] 10 illustrates the proximal portion of staple cartridge 28 with actuation sled assembly 40 in a retracted position within cartridge body 38. As illustrated, cam member 90 of knife 56 is positioned within the proximal end of knife slot 48 of cartridge body 38. In this position, abutment 68 on resilient arm 66 of actuation sled 52 engages detent 108 on central portion 82 of knife 56 to retain knife 56 in a lowered position, central body portion 58 of actuation sled 52 is received within knife slot 48 of cartridge body 38, and fin 59 is received within channel 112 of cartridge body 38.

[0065] 11 illustrates a distal portion of drive assembly 120 of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1), including flexible drive beam 122 and working member 124. Flexible drive beam 122 comprises a laminated sheet of material having a distal end fixedly attached to working member 124. Working member 124 has an I-beam configuration and includes a first beam 126, a second beam 128, and a vertical post 130 that fixes first beam 126 and second beam 128 together a fixed distance from each other. Vertical post 130 has a sidewall 132 that defines a cam slot 134 and a distal surface 136 that includes an angled portion 136a that is angled upwardly and proximally at a location between cam slot 134 and first beam 126 to define a recess 138 between first beam 126 and angled portion 136a. Drive assembly 120 is movable through cartridge body 38 from a retracted position to an advanced position, advancing actuation sled assembly 40 through cartridge body 38 from its retracted position to its advanced position. As drive assembly 120 moves through cartridge body 38, vertical post 130 of working member 124 moves through knife slot 48 in cartridge body 38, and first beam 126 and second beam 128 engage anvil 20 and cartridge assembly 22, respectively, to move tool assembly 16 from an unclamped position to a clamped position and maintain maximum tissue clearance between anvil 20 and cartridge assembly 22.

[0066] 12 illustrates a proximal portion of tool assembly 16 in the unclamped position. When tool assembly 16 is in the unclamped position, cartridge assembly 22 is pivoted away from anvil 20, and actuation sled assembly 40 is in its retracted position within a proximal portion of cartridge body 38 of cartridge assembly 22. Drive assembly 120 is also positioned in its retracted position spaced proximally from cartridge assembly 22, with first beam 126 of drive assembly 120 partially received within channel 140 defined in anvil 20. Cam member 90 of knife 56 is positioned at the proximal end of cartridge assembly 22 adjacent cam slot 134 of working member 124 of drive assembly 120, and knife 56 is in a lowered position.

[0067] 13-16 illustrate tool assembly 16 of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1) as tool assembly 16 is moved to the clamping position. As drive assembly 120 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow "A" in FIG. 13 from its retracted position toward its advanced position, second beam 128 of working member 124 of drive assembly 120 engages flexure 142 (FIG. 13) in channel 26 of cartridge assembly 22, pivoting cartridge assembly 22 to the clamping position relative to anvil 20, and working member 124 moves into notch 61 a (FIG. 14) defined in base portion 61 of actuation sled 52. As the cartridge assembly pivots relative to the anvil 20 toward the clamped position, the cam member 190 of the knife 56 is received within the cam slot 134 of the working member 124 of the drive assembly 120 and is cammed upward within the cam slot 134 in the direction indicated by arrow "B," lifting the knife 56 from the lowered position to the raised position in the direction indicated by arrow "C." In the raised position of the knife 56, the cutting edge 92 of the knife 56 extends from the knife slot 48 of the cartridge body 38 across the tissue gap "G" defined between the anvil 20 and the cartridge assembly 22, and a proximal portion of the cutting blade 88 of the knife 56 is received within the recess 138 of the working member 124 of the drive assembly 120. As knife 56 moves from the lowered position to the raised position, detent 108 on central portion 82 of knife 56 engages abutment 68 on resilient arm 66 of actuation sled 52, urging abutment 68 in the direction indicated by arrow "D" in FIG. 15 and allowing knife 56 to move upwardly past abutment 68 to the raised position.

[0068] 17 illustrates drive assembly 120 of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1) as drive assembly 120 moves in the direction indicated by arrow "E" from its clamping position to its advanced position to fire tool assembly 16. As drive assembly 120 moves toward its advanced position, distal surface 136 of working member 124 of drive assembly 120, in abutting relationship with knife 56, advances actuation sled assembly 40 toward its advanced position to eject staples 42 from cartridge body 38 and sever tissue clamped between anvil 20 and cartridge assembly 22. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, bottom wall 46a of staple guard 46 includes a resilient tab 150 (FIG. 3) extending upwardly from bottom wall 46a into the path of actuation sled assembly 40. Resilient tab 150 is supported at its proximal end on bottom wall 46a in a cantilevered manner. As actuation sled 52 passes over resilient tab 150, resilient tab 150 deforms downward and then snaps into a recess 152 formed in the bottom of actuation sled 52. When tab 150 is received within recess 152 of actuation sled 52, actuation sled assembly 40 is prevented from moving proximally within cartridge body 38 of cartridge assembly 22.

[0069] 18 and 19 illustrate tool assembly 16 of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1) as drive assembly 120 is moved from an advanced position to a retracted position in the direction indicated by arrow "F" after stapling device 10 has been fired. When drive assembly 120 is retracted after firing, actuation sled assembly 40 is held in its advanced position by tabs 150 on staple guard 46. In this manner, drive assembly 120 moves from an advanced position toward a retracted position independently of actuation sled 52, causing cam slot 134 of working member 124 of drive assembly 120 to move relative to cam member 90 of knife 56. This movement cams knife 56 downward in the direction indicated by arrow "G" in FIG. 19, returning knife 56 from the raised position to the lowered position and disengaging working member 124 of drive assembly 120 from actuation sled assembly 40. As explained above, knife 56 is held in the lowered position by engagement of detents 108 on central portion 82 of knife 56 with abutments 68 on resilient arms 66 of actuation sled 52 .

[0070] 20-25 illustrate an alternative version of tool assembly 16 (FIG. 2) of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1), generally designated as tool assembly 216. Tool assembly 216 is similar to tool assembly 16 (FIG. 2) and includes an anvil 220 and a cartridge assembly 222. Cartridge assembly 222 includes a channel member 226 and a staple cartridge 228. Channel member 226 includes side walls 230 and a bottom wall 232 that define a cavity 234. Staple cartridge 228 is removably received within cavity 234 of channel member 226 and is replaceable to facilitate reuse of stapling device 10 (FIG. 1). Each of side walls 230 of channel member 226 has an upper end that defines a recess 236.

[0071] Staple cartridge 228 is identical to staple cartridge 28, except for minor modifications to actuation sled 240, which are described below. As described above with respect to staple cartridge 28 (FIG. 3), staple cartridge 228 includes a cartridge body 238 defining a knife slot 248 and staple-receiving pockets 250 positioned on each side of knife slot 248. Cartridge body 238 includes laterally extending protrusions 251 (only one shown) that are received within recesses 236 (FIG. 2) of channel member 226 to properly position staple cartridge 228 within cavity 234 of channel member 226. Staple cartridge 228 also includes a staple guard 246 fixedly mounted to the bottom of cartridge body 238 for retaining staples and a pusher (not shown) within cartridge body 238 during shipping and handling of staple cartridge 228.

[0072] Tool assembly 216 differs from tool assembly 16 ( FIG. 2 ) in that tool assembly 216 includes a flexible member 242, which may be in the form of a wave spring, fixedly attached to bottom wall 232 of channel member 234 to support staple cartridge 228 within cavity 234 of channel member 226. Flexible member 236 is compressible to facilitate movement of staple cartridge 228 within cavity 234 of channel member 226 between a cartridge-raised position and a cartridge-lowered position relative to anvil 220 to accommodate tissue of different thicknesses. Flexible member 242 may be formed from a variety of different flexible materials and functions to allow staple cartridge 228 to float within channel cavity 234 such that the tissue gap defined between tissue engaging surface 220 a of anvil 220 and tissue engaging surface 254 of staple cartridge 228 of cartridge assembly 222 can change when tool assembly 216 is in the clamping position and / or fired to compensate for different tissue thicknesses. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the compliant members 242 are positioned along either side of a knife slot 248 defined in the bottom wall 232 of the channel member 226. Although shown as wave springs, the compliant members 242 may be formed from compressible pads or the like.

[0073] Actuation sled assembly 240 of staple cartridge 228 is similar to actuation sled assembly 40 (FIG. 5) and includes an actuation sled 252 and a knife 256 supported on actuation sled 252 and movable along a linear path between lowered and raised positions. Actuation sled 252 differs from actuation sled 52 (FIG. 6) in that cam member 290 has a circular configuration. Cam member 290 is cantilevered on the proximal end of proximal portion 278 of knife 256.

[0074] FIG. 21 illustrates a distal portion of an alternative version of drive assembly 120 (FIG. 11) of stapling device 10, generally shown as drive assembly 320, including a flexible drive beam 322 and a working member 324. Flexible drive beam 322 comprises a laminated sheet of material having a distal end fixedly attached to working member 324. Working member 324 has an I-beam configuration and includes a first beam 326, a second beam 328, and a vertical post 330 that fixes first beam 326 and second beam 328 together a fixed distance from each other. Vertical post 330 has a sidewall 332 that defines a cam slot 334 and a distal surface 336 including an angled portion 336a that is angled upwardly and proximally at a location between cam slot 334 and first beam 326 to define a recess 338 between first beam 326 and angled portion 336a. Drive assembly 320 is movable through cartridge body 238 from a drive retracted position to a drive advanced position to advance actuation sled assembly 240 through cartridge body 238 from the sled retracted position to the sled advanced position. As drive assembly 320 moves through cartridge body 238, vertical post 330 of working member 324 moves through knife slot 348 in cartridge body 338, and first beam 326 and second beam 328 engage anvil 320 and cartridge assembly 322, respectively, to move tool assembly 316 from the unclamped position to the clamped position. Upper beam 326 and lower beam 328 engage channels 226 in anvil 220 and cartridge assembly 222 to establish a maximum tissue gap between anvil 220 and tissue engaging surfaces 220 a and 254 of staple cartridge 228 of cartridge assembly 22.

[0075] The work member 324 of the drive assembly 320 differs from the work member 124 ( FIG. 11 ) in that the work member 324 is configured to guide the cam member 290 of the knife 256 into the cam slot 334 when the knife 256 is in both the cartridge-down position and the cartridge-up position, or at any position between the cartridge-up position and the cartridge-down position. More specifically, the vertical post 330 of the work member 324 of the drive assembly 320 includes a first cam surface 350 and a second cam surface 352. The first cam surface 350 is positioned below the cam slot 334, distal to the second beam 328, and is continuous with a surface of the vertical post 332 that defines one side of the cam slot 334. The second cam surface 352 is positioned above the cam slot 334 and is angled downward proximally toward the cam slot 334.

[0076] 22 and 23 illustrate tool assembly 216 in the clamped position, with staple cartridge 228 in the cartridge-raised position within cavity 234 ( FIG. 20 ) of channel 226 of cartridge assembly 222. As described above with respect to actuation sled 52 ( FIG. 7 ) and knife 56 ( FIG. 8 ), actuation sled 252 includes a central body portion 258 having resilient arms 266 supporting abutments 268, and knife 256 includes a central portion 282 having detents 308. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, resilient arms 266 are integrally formed with and cantilevered on central body portion 258 of actuation sled 252 to facilitate inward and outward movement of abutments 268. In the clamped position, detents 308 of knife 256 are positioned below abutments 268 of actuation sled 252 to retain the knife in the lowered position. When staple cartridge 228 is in a cartridge-up position within channel 226 of cartridge assembly 222 ( FIGS. 22 and 23 ), such as when thin tissue is clamped between staple cartridge 228 and anvil 220, knife 256 is in a first, lowered position relative to actuation sled 252. In the first, lowered position, cam member 290 of knife 256 is engaged with second cam surface 352 of working member 324 of drive assembly 320, and detent 308 of knife 256 is positioned slightly below abutment 268 of actuation sled 252. As drive assembly 320 is advanced from the drive clamp position toward the drive advanced position, second cam surface 352 of working member 324 of drive assembly 320 directs cam member 290 downwardly into cam slot 334 of working member 324 of drive assembly 320.

[0077] 24 and 25 illustrate tool assembly 216 in the clamping position with staple cartridge 228 in cavity 234 ( FIG. 20 ) of channel 226 of cartridge assembly 222 in the cartridge-down position. When staple cartridge 228 is in the cartridge-down position within channel 226 of cartridge assembly 222 ( FIGS. 22 and 23 ), such as when thick tissue is clamped between staple cartridge 228 and anvil 220, knife 256 is in a second, lowered position relative to actuation sled 252. In the second, lowered position, cam member 290 of knife 256 is engaged with first cam surface 350 of work member 324 of drive assembly 320, and detent 308 of knife 256 is positioned further below abutment 268 of actuation sled 252. When the drive assembly 320 is advanced from the drive clamp position toward the drive forward position, the first cam surface 352 of the working member 324 of the drive assembly 320 directs the cam member 290 upward into the cam slot 334 of the working member 324 of the drive assembly 320.

[0078] The tool assembly functions in a manner similar to that of tool assembly 16 (FIG. 2). As such, the operation of tool assembly 216 will not be described in further detail herein.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting, exemplary aspects of the present disclosure. It is contemplated that elements and features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with other elements and features without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, those skilled in the art will appreciate additional features and advantages of the present disclosure based on the aspects of the present disclosure described above. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A tool assembly for a staple stapling device, said tool assembly comprising: a drive assembly including a work member having an I-shape and including a first beam, a second beam, and a vertical post connecting the first beam to the second beam, the vertical post defining a cam slot, the drive assembly being movable between a drive retract position and a drive forward position; Anvil and a cartridge assembly including a channel defining a cavity, a flexible member, and a staple cartridge releasably received within the cavity of the channel, wherein the flexible member is positioned between the staple cartridge and the channel to facilitate movement of the staple cartridge within the cavity between a cartridge-raised position and a cartridge-lowered position, and wherein the staple cartridge comprises: a cartridge body defining a knife slot and staple receiving pockets, the staple receiving pockets being positioned on opposite sides of the knife slot; staples received within the staple receiving pockets of the cartridge body; an actuation sled assembly movable within the cartridge body from a sled retracted position to a sled advanced position, the actuation sled assembly comprising: an actuation sled having a base portion, a central body portion extending upwardly from the base portion, and cam members positioned on opposite sides of the central body portion, the central body portion of the actuation sled defining a linear guide channel defining an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tool assembly; a knife supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the knife including a first portion received in the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member, the cam member received in the cam slot of the vertical post of the work member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position to move the knife from the lowered position to the raised position.

2. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the knife supports a detent, and the actuation sled includes an abutment that engages the detent when the knife is in the lowered position to retain the knife in the lowered position.

3. 3. The tool assembly of claim 2, wherein the actuation sled includes a resilient arm, the abutment supported on the resilient arm, the resilient arm facilitating movement of the abutment from a first position to a second position to enable movement of the knife between the lowered position and the raised position.

4. The tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central body portion of the actuation sled is movable through the knife slot of the cartridge body.

5. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the staple cartridge further includes a staple guard fixedly mounted to a bottom of the cartridge body, the staple guard having a bottom wall engaged with the base portion of the actuation sled.

6. 6. The tool assembly of claim 5, wherein the bottom wall of the staple guard includes a resilient tab, and the base portion of the actuation sled defines a recess, the resilient tab of the staple guard being received within the recess of the actuation sled when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled-advance position to retain the actuation sled assembly in the sled-advance position.

7. 7. The tool assembly of claim 6, wherein the cam slot is configured to move the knife from the raised position to the lowered position when the drive assembly is moved from the drive forward position back to the drive retracted position.

8. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the base portion of the actuation sled defines a proximal notch configured to receive the working member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position.

9. The tool assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cam member of the knife is positioned over the notch when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled retracted position.

10. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the vertical post of the work member includes a distal surface defining a recess, the cutting blade being at least partially received within the recess during movement of the drive assembly from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position.

11. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the knife includes a central portion defining a cavity, and the actuation sled includes spaced vertical walls received within the cavity of the central portion of the knife to restrict the knife to linear motion as the knife moves between the raised and lowered positions.

12. 2. The tool assembly of claim 1, wherein the vertical post includes a first cam surface positioned on a first side of the cam slot and a second cam surface positioned on a second side of the cam slot, the first cam surface and the second cam surface configured to direct the cam member of the knife into the cam slot.

13. 13. The tool assembly of claim 12, wherein the first cam surface is positioned to engage the cam member when the staple cartridge is positioned in the cartridge-down position within the cavity of the channel, and the second cam surface is positioned to engage the cam member when the staple cartridge is positioned in the cartridge-up position within the cavity of the channel.

14. 1. A surgical stapling device comprising: A handle assembly; an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion coupled to the handle assembly; a drive assembly at least partially received within the elongated body, the drive assembly including a work member having an I-shape and including a first beam, a second beam, and a vertical post connecting the first beam to the second beam, the vertical post defining a cam slot, the drive assembly being movable between a drive retracted position and a drive advanced position; a tool assembly supported on the distal portion of the elongate body, the tool assembly defining a longitudinal axis and including an anvil and a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly including a channel defining a cavity and a staple cartridge releasably received within the cavity of the channel, the staple cartridge comprising: a cartridge body defining a knife slot and staple receiving pockets, the staple receiving pockets being positioned on opposite sides of the knife slot; staples received within the staple receiving pockets of the cartridge body; an actuation sled assembly movable within the cartridge body from a sled retracted position to a sled advanced position to eject staples from the cartridge body of the staple cartridge, the actuation sled assembly comprising: an actuation sled having a base portion, a central body portion extending upwardly from the base portion, and cam members positioned on opposite sides of the central body portion, the central body portion of the actuation sled defining a linear guide channel defining an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly; a knife supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the knife including a first portion received in the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member, the cam member received in the cam slot of the vertical post of the working member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position to move the knife from the lowered position to the raised position.

15. 15. The surgical stapling device of claim 14, wherein the knife includes a detent and the actuation sled includes a resilient arm supporting an abutment that engages the detent when the knife is in the lowered position to retain the knife in the lowered position.

16. 15. The surgical stapling device of claim 14, wherein the staple cartridge further includes a staple guard fixedly attached to a bottom of the cartridge body, the staple guard having a bottom wall engaged with the base portion of the actuation sled, the bottom wall of the staple guard including a resilient tab, the base portion of the actuation sled defining a recess, the resilient tab of the staple guard being received within the recess of the actuation sled when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled-advance position to retain the actuation sled assembly in the sled-advance position.

17. The surgical stapling device of claim 14, wherein the base portion of the actuation sled defines a proximal notch configured to receive the working member of the drive assembly when the drive assembly is moved from the drive retracted position toward the drive advanced position.

18. The surgical stapling device of claim 17, wherein the cam member of the knife is positioned over the notch when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled retracted position.

19. 15. The surgical stapling device of claim 14, wherein the vertical post of the working member includes a distal surface defining a recess, the cutting blade being at least partially received within the recess during movement of the drive assembly from the driven retracted position toward the driven advanced position.

20. 15. The surgical stapling device of claim 14, wherein the knife includes a central portion defining a cavity, and the actuation sled includes spaced vertical walls received within the cavity of the central portion of the knife to restrict the knife to linear motion as the knife moves between the raised and lowered positions.

21. A staple cartridge comprising: a cartridge body defining a knife slot and staple receiving pockets, the staple receiving pockets being positioned on opposite sides of the knife slot; staples received within the staple receiving pockets of the cartridge body; an actuation sled assembly movable within the cartridge body from a sled retracted position to a sled advanced position to eject staples from the cartridge body of the staple cartridge, the actuation sled assembly comprising: an actuation sled having a base portion, a central body portion extending upwardly from the base portion, and cam members positioned on opposite sides of the central body portion, the central body portion of the actuation sled defining a linear guide channel defining an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly; a knife supported on the central body portion of the actuation sled and movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the knife including a first portion received within the linear guide channel of the actuation sled, a cutting blade, and a cam member, the cam member positioned on a proximal portion of the knife.

22. 22. The staple cartridge of claim 21, wherein the staple cartridge further comprises a staple guard fixedly attached to a bottom of the cartridge body, the staple guard having a bottom wall engaged with the base portion of the actuation sled, the bottom wall of the staple guard including a resilient tab, the base portion of the actuation sled defining a recess, the resilient tab of the staple guard being received within the recess of the actuation sled when the actuation sled assembly is in the sled-advance position to retain the actuation sled assembly in the sled-advance position.

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