US 12,446,875 B2
Surgical stapler with anvil seating detection
Christopher C. Miller, Loveland, OH (US); and Richard F. Schwemberger, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/352,521.
Application 18/352,521 is a continuation of application No. 17/555,855, filed on Dec. 20, 2021, granted, now 11,744,579.
Application 17/555,855 is a continuation of application No. 16/404,082, filed on May 6, 2019, granted, now 11,284,888, issued on Mar. 29, 2022.
Application 16/404,082 is a continuation of application No. 14/751,247, filed on Jun. 26, 2015, granted, now 10,307,157.
Prior Publication US 2023/0363757 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/115 (2006.01); A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/068 (2013.01) [A61B 17/1155 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07257 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2946 (2013.01); A61B 2090/0811 (2016.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
(a) a deck that houses a plurality of staples;
(b) an anvil configured to cooperate with the deck to clamp tissue therebetween and form the staples in the clamped tissue;
(c) an anvil actuator movable from a first actuator position to a second actuator position to actuate the anvil toward the deck to clamp tissue therebetween, the anvil actuator including:
(i) a first actuator portion configured to selectively couple with the anvil, and
(ii) a second actuator portion movable relative to the first actuator portion; and
(d) a blocker coupled with and movable relative to the anvil actuator between a block position and a bypass position, wherein the blocker in the block position is configured to inhibit the anvil actuator from advancing into the second actuator position from the first actuator position, wherein the blocker in the bypass position is configured to permit the anvil actuator to advance into the second actuator position from the first actuator position,
wherein the blocker is configured to assume the block position when the anvil is decoupled from the anvil actuator,
wherein the second actuator portion is configured to drive the blocker from the block position to the bypass position when the anvil is fully coupled with the first actuator portion.