US 11,771,429 B2
Surgical stapling apparatus with tissue pockets
John Beardsley, Wallingford, CT (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/698,206.
Application 17/698,206 is a continuation of application No. 15/344,091, filed on Nov. 4, 2016, granted, now 11,642,126.
Prior Publication US 2022/0202419 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/115 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/07207 (2013.01) [A61B 17/072 (2013.01); A61B 17/1155 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07228 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07264 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic surgical stapling apparatus comprising:
a first jaw member having a first tissue contact surface and laterally-facing outer side surfaces, the first tissue contact surface defining a plurality of staple retention slots configured to support staples therein, the plurality of staple retention slots including a proximal-most staple retention slot and a distal-most staple retention slot;
a stapling area defined between the proximal-most staple retention slot and the distal-most staple retention slot;
a second jaw member having an outer top surface, a second tissue contact surface, and laterally-facing outer side surfaces that extend between the outer top surface and the second tissue contact surface of the second jaw member, the second tissue contact surface defining a plurality of staple pockets for forming the staples, the plurality of staple pockets aligned with the plurality of staple retention slots of the first tissue contact surface; and
a plurality of tissue pockets defined in the laterally-facing outer side surfaces of the second jaw member and through the outer top surface of the second jaw member, the plurality of tissue pockets configured to enable the second jaw member to capture tissue therein to prevent the tissue from migrating away from the stapling area as the surgical stapling apparatus is fired.