US 11,957,343 B2
Surgical fasteners for articulating surgical instruments
Nathan Stewart Cauldwell, Hope, RI (US); Augustus Felix, Cranston, RI (US); Derek Affonce, Uxbridge, MA (US); and Kevin J. Ranucci, Warwick, RI (US)
Assigned to C.R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US)
Filed by C.R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/174,511.
Application 17/174,511 is a division of application No. 15/867,063, filed on Jan. 10, 2018, granted, now 10,932,776.
Prior Publication US 2021/0161528 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01); A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/84 (2006.01); A61B 17/88 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/07207 (2013.01) [A61B 17/068 (2013.01); A61B 17/846 (2013.01); A61B 17/8872 (2013.01); A61B 2017/003 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00309 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00327 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00367 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0647 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07221 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07228 (2013.01); A61B 2090/0803 (2016.02)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
at least one articulable elongated shaft extending distally from a handle of a surgical instrument, wherein the at least one articulable elongated shaft is movable between a non-articulated configuration and a fully articulated configuration;
a fastener carrier disposed in and extending along at least a portion of a length of the at least one articulable elongated shaft; and
a fastener provided on the fastener carrier, the fastener comprising:
a head;
a shaft extending distally from the head; and
a through bore extending through the shaft from a proximal surface of the head to a distal portion of the shaft, wherein the fastener carrier is slidably received in the through bore, and wherein the through bore is sized and shaped to have two or fewer contact points with the fastener carrier when the at least one articulable elongated shaft and the fastener carrier disposed therein are in the fully articulated configuration.