US 12,458,348 B2
Deflectable firing member for surgical stapler
Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Hillsboro, OH (US); Kevin M. Fiebig, Cincinnati, OH (US); Gregory J. Bakos, Mason, OH (US); Michael J. Vendely, Lebanon, OH (US); and Adam D. Hensel, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/402,759.
Prior Publication US 2023/0052307 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/072 (2013.01) [A61B 2017/00367 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical stapling instrument comprising:
(a) a shaft assembly extending along a longitudinal axis to a distal end;
(b) an end effector at the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector includes:
(i) a first jaw,
(ii) a second jaw, the first and second jaws being operable to transition between an open state and a closed state, and
(iii) a driving assembly translatable distally relative to the first jaw and the second jaw to thereby transition the first and second jaws from the open state to the closed state; and
(c) a flexible firing member configured to selectively advance the driving assembly distally and retract the driving assembly proximally, wherein the flexible firing member includes:
(i) a plurality of segments arranged along the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of segments includes a proximal segment and a distal segment that is entirely distal of the proximal segment,
(ii) at least one axial force transmission feature configured to transmit axial forces between the segments, and
(iii) at least one lateral alignment feature configured to resist lateral misalignment of the segments, wherein the at least one lateral alignment feature includes a pair of diametrically-opposed lateral alignment features, wherein the pair of diametrically-opposed lateral alignment features includes:
(A) a first lateral alignment feature, and
(B) a second lateral alignment feature disposed opposite the first lateral alignment feature relative to a diameter of the flexible firing member,
wherein the at least one axial force transmission feature includes proximal and distal surfaces of at least one slot, wherein the at least one slot includes a pair of longitudinal slot end portions and an intermediate slot portion extending circumferentially therebetween, wherein the intermediate slot portion defines the proximal and distal surfaces, wherein each longitudinal slot end portion of the pair of longitudinal slot end portions extends both proximally and distally farther along the longitudinal axis relative to the intermediate slot portion such that a width of each longitudinal slot end portion is greater than a width of the intermediate slot portion.