US 11,696,678 B2
Applicator instruments with inverted handles and triggers, curved shafts, and visible orientation indicia
Michael Cardinale, Morristown, NJ (US); Doug Souls, Andover, NJ (US); Simon Cohn, Lebanon, NJ (US); Matthew Rohr Daniel, San Francisco, CA (US); Jonathan B. Gabel, Randoph, NJ (US); and Danial Paul Ferreira, Milford, CT (US)
Assigned to Ethicon, Inc., Raritan, NJ (US)
Filed by Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US)
Filed on Feb. 5, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/268,084.
Application 16/268,084 is a continuation of application No. 13/720,198, filed on Dec. 19, 2012, granted, now 10,575,716.
Application 13/720,198 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/470,022, filed on May 11, 2012, granted, now 8,518,055, issued on Aug. 27, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2019/0208996 A1, Jul. 11, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 1/018 (2006.01); A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/08 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 90/30 (2016.01); A61F 2/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/018 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0682 (2013.01); A61B 17/08 (2013.01); A61B 17/064 (2013.01); A61B 2017/003 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00455 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2905 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2923 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2946 (2013.01); A61B 2090/0807 (2016.02); A61B 2090/08021 (2016.02); A61B 2090/309 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3614 (2016.02); A61B 2090/373 (2016.02); A61F 2/0063 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners comprising:
a housing having a proximal end, a distal end, an upper end, and a lower end that defines a bottom of said applicator instrument;
a firing system disposed in said housing and being moveable along a first axis between the proximal and distal ends of said housing;
a handle extending upwardly from the upper end of said housing along a second axis that defines an acute angle with the first axis, said handle having a lower end secured to the upper end of said housing and an upper free end that defines a top of said applicator instrument;
a trigger coupled with said housing for activating said firing system;
an elongated shaft extending from the distal end of said housing, said elongated shaft having a proximal shaft section that extends along the first axis and a distal shaft section that is oriented at an angle relative to said proximal shaft section for extending upwardly toward the top of said applicator instrument;
a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in said elongated shaft, wherein said trigger is configured to be squeezed toward said handle for dispensing a leading one of said surgical fasteners from said distal shaft section of said elongated shaft;
at least one visual indicator provided on said applicator instrument for indicating a proper orientation for said applicator instrument in which the upper free end of said handle is positioned above said housing and said housing is positioned below the lower end of said handle, wherein said at least one visual indicator comprises a counter that shows how many of said surgical fasteners have been dispensed from said applicator instrument or how many of said surgical fasteners remain in said applicator instrument, and wherein said counter is located at a top of the upper free end of said handle to provide visibility of said counter when said applicator instrument is in the proper orientation with said handle positioned above said housing.